Mexico coach calls for Copa rule change
Reuters - Monday 11 July 2011, 19:41
BUENOS AIRES - Mexico coach
Luis Tena said on Monday he hoped the rules would be
changed to allow his country to compete on an equal footing with
teams from South America at future editions of the Copa America.
Mexico are allowed only to field what is effectively an
under-22 side at the Copa America because of rules imposed by
CONCACAF, the federation it belongs to, which governs football
in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
CONCACAF is worried that if its teams send full-strength
squads to the Copa America, they will field only under-strength
teams at its own regional tournament, the Gold Cup.
This year's Gold Cup was played in June, just before the
Copa, and Mexico, fielding a full-strength squad, won it.
But the young Mexican squad at the Copa has struggled to
hold its own against the stronger South American teams.
Mexico were beaten by Chile and Peru in their opening two
matches and are the only side in the tournament without a point.
"I hope this is the last time that Mexico come to a Copa
America with a squad with an age limit," Tena, who is Mexico's
assistant coach but is in charge for the Copa, told a news
conference in Buenos Aires ahead of his side's last Group C
match against Uruguay.
"It would have been very interesting to see our full team,
which had such an amazing Gold Cup, playing against teams as
strong as those that are playing here."
Mexico have to beat Uruguay on Tuesday to stand a chance of
squeezing into the quarter-finals of the competition.