3 days Ago By Cesar Hernandez
captain will miss the rest of the after suffering a left hamstring injury, the men's national team player confirmed Tuesday. "Unfortunately, my participation in the Copa América has come to a close," read from the midfielder, who stated he would maintain an off-the-field role. "But I also wanted to let you know that I have made the decision to stay with the team until the end.
" Alvarez, 26, limped out of vs. last Saturday after hitting the ground and clutching his left hamstring following a counter from the opposition in the first half. Despite going on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a strike from , the result would prove to be a bittersweet one for manager Jaime "Jimmy" Lozano and his men, as they're now without a key leader.
Earlier Tuesday, Lozano noted that possibly for the national team. In his place, the coach said 27-year-old Almería defender would now take the captain's armband. "Now it's César's turn to captain, and I think he's going to help us a lot too," Lozano said.
"The same with Julio [Gonzalez], Johan [Vasquez], I like to see soccer a little from the back going forward, and I think they are the people who have a bit more stability." Depending on the result of the other Group B matchup between and Jamaica, both Mexico and are seeking to potentially secure a spot in the Copa knockout round with a win Wednesday. Following the second round of games, Group B will close out with Mexico playing Ecuador and Jamaica taking on Venezuela on Sunday.
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