Mexico’s national soccer team has chosen Houston as the city for its penultimate World Cup tuneup in North America. Mexico will cap a six-city U.S. trip May 13 at Reliant Stadium against an opponent to be named. Three days later Mexico will play Chile in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca before leaving for Europe to play a few friendlies before heading to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.
By the time Mexico reaches Houston, the squad chosen for the World Cup will have been announced. Therefore, its top players could be on the field at Reliant Stadium, depending on the European schedules of some of Mexico’s stars.
“Our goal in the first trimester of 2010 is to prepare the Mexican national team for the FIFA World Cup,” Nestor de la Torre, the Mexican Federation’s director of national team programs, said in a statement. “The U.S. tour allows us to test our squad while giving our fans from all parts of the country the chance to send us off to South Africa.”
Mexico’s U.S. tour will begin Feb. 24 against Bolivia at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, followed by a trip to the Rose Bowl on March 3 against New Zealand. On March 24, Mexico will play Iceland at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Then, Mexico will play Ecuador at New
Meadowlands Stadium on May 7. Three days later Mexico will face Senegal at Chicago’s Soldier Field before heading to Houston.
jesus.ortiz@chron.com