Sports: Football/Soccer: FIFA joins with WAPA to back Mexico Football Federation and resist doping on Mexico's national team

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TropiGol.com (June17,2k11)

FIFA allows Mexico to replace suspended players

Posted on June 16, 2011

Mexico will be able to replace those suspended five players for the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

FIFA and CONCACAF will allow El Tri to replace the five players who were suspended by the Mexican Football Federation for testing positive for banned substances last week.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said on Thursday that the Mexicans will be allowed to replace the five players. That included starting goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and defender Francisco Rodriguez and Antonio (Sinha) Naelson, Edgar Dueñas and Christian Bermúdez.

“There’s a certain level of drug in the bloodstream and FIFA’s decision to agree with WADA [the World Anti-Doping Agency] is that that these players can’t play at this time,” Valcke said at a press conference in Mexico City. “FIFA will authorize, if [the Mexican federation] so wishes, that the five players be replaced because it’s very difficult to see if this was a question of tainted food or if it was intentional.”

Mexico, which has 17 players on its roster, after right fullback Ricardo Osorio went home due to illness.

The Mexicans play Guatemala in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. ET Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Costa Rica tussles with Honduras in the 5 p.m. opener.

Photo: Mexico will be allowed to replace Francisco Rodriguez (above) and four of his teammates who were suspended for taking banned substances found in meat. Wade Jackson/YCJ

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Categories: Gold Cup, Guatemala, Mexico, National Team, North America
Tags: CONCACAF Gold Cup, Edgar Dueñas.Christian Bermúdez, FIFA, Francisco Rodriguez. Antonio Naelson, Guillermo Ochoa, Jerome Valcke

-- TropiGol.com materials re-posted here by Sportikos