Mexican national team scratches Vuoso

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Forward Matias Vuoso was scratched from the Mexican national team’s friendly with North Korea on Wednesday in Torreon after injuring his left leg in his club team’s game on Saturday.

Vuoso, 28, an Argentine native who became a naturalized Mexican, hasn’t played for the national team since Javier Aguirre replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach last April. And he wasn’t given much of a chance to make El Tri’s World Cup team this summer. But he was called up for Wednesday’s game largely because it is being played in Territorio Santos Modelo stadium in Torreon, where Vuoso plays his home games with Santos Laguna of the Mexican Primera Division.

Vuoso was injured in the first half of Santos’ win over Pachuca on Saturday in Hidalgo. After consulting with team doctors and reviewing Vuoso’s ultrasound results, the medical staff for the national team decided remove Vuoso from the roster for Wednesday’s match. No replacement has yet been named.

[Updated at 1:33 p.m.: Vuoso’s place on the Mexican roster will be taken by Miguel Sabah. The 30-year-old forward for Morelia of the Primera Division played for Aguirre during last year’s Gold Cup as well as in World Cup qualifying, where he is best remembered for his game-winning goal against the United States last August.]

-- Kevin Baxter