Which player will be missed the most during Gold Cup?

This year’s Gold Cup will have key players from the Mexican National team missing in action. Some have referred the current squad as the “B team” due to the major absences of some of the players that won’t be participating starting this Saturday.

Here’s a list of the missing players:

Carlos Vela

Vela has been having an incredible season with LAFC in the MLS. With 16 goals in 16 games, he’s been the best player for the team and in the league. So why wouldn’t he be in Gold Cup? Well, he was picked by Tata but Vela refused to participate because he feels he’s not needed due to other talented players for Mexico that can be used instead of him. Tata tried to convince him but was unsuccessful.

Vela is one of Mexico’s current strongest in attack and will definitely be missed. Although Mexico has other players that can take over his position, it won’t be the same without him since he’s been active with assists as well. While fans are slowly getting over their disappointment of him refusing to attend, they can only fantasize of what Vela could do if he joined his teammates.

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano

Chucky was another player that fans really wanted to see after a great performance against Germany in the 2018 World Cup. It was a memorable moment for the country as they picked up their first win over the Germans and put Chucky as the hero for that game. In PSV Eindhoven, he continued to make difference with his goals and assists, but the injuries affected him from playing at his top level.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to recover from an ankle injury and had to be taken off the Gold Cup list. Chucky’s quick sprints and agility have been the best part for Mexico’s offensive line, giving every defense trouble in marking him. The good thing is he is still at a young age so we will be able to see him play the next Gold Cup.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez

Mexico has been lucky to have Chicharito in he last few years. He’s been the player that we could count on to help us when we needed him and certainly made an impact since his debut game. Becoming Mexico’s top scorer is enough to say he gave it his all and has nothing else to prove.

While he’s been having trouble receiving minutes with West Ham, Chicharito has taken advantage of the games he starts in or when he comes off the bench. The birth of his first child was the main reason he asked Tata not to include on the Gold Cup roster.

Despite these player’s absence, El Tri still has enough star and firepower to be able to conquer the most important trophy of the region. We’ll find out soon enough as the Gold Cup kicks off on Saturday.