Hugo will announce his first list tonight

Hugo Sanchez will be announcing his first list of players for a minicamp next week at the CAR outside Mexico City.

Hugo will use this group, along with the european expats, for the call up for his first official game as the Tri’s coach on February 7 vs. the US. The game will be played in Glendale, Az, in the same stadium that witnessed 2 of college football’s great games: Boise St.’s improbable but highly savory victory over Oklahoma, and Florida’s equally shocking dismembering of the Ohio State. Hugo will announce his squad on February 1.

Who should we expect on the list? First and foremost, the vast majority of Chivas who played in Germany, as well as Bofo Bautista, who earned a call up with his excellent play in the Apertura. Expect a welcome sight: Pumas players (or ex-pumas players) who were systematically ignored by the previous regime: Israel Castro, Sergio Bernal, Jaime Lozano, Gerry Galindo… is Pikolin far behind??

Hugo has mentioned that he will not discriminate against the older players or the naturalized ones. He says that the “acta de nacimiento” doesn’t matter. So that could open the door for Paco Palencia, Jared Borgetti, and even Cuauhtemoc Blanco. But I just don’t see Hugo calling up Zinha, not yet, anyway.

Who will not be called up? Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos for sure. Hugo recognizes that these lads have a pretty important tournament themselves this summer, the under20 WC in Canada, so Hugo will not be calling on these guys until after the summer. Oh, and Chiquis.

I don’t know about y’all, but I am as excited for this regime as I have ever been for a Mexico side. Animo, Hugo.