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Mexico and Colombia will face each other here Sunday in a quarterfinal match of the Gold Cup regional soccer tournament after both squads turned in disappointing performances in the opening round of the competition.
The Mexicans, four-time Gold Cup champs and last year's winner, did not clinch first place in Group C until the last day of first round play, defeating Jamaica 1-0.
Colombia, meanwhile, lost its first two Group A matches, to Panama (0-1) and Honduras (1-2), before finally managing a 2-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago to back into the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-place squads.
Many fans were hoping to see the long-time rivals meet each other in one of the Gold Cup semifinals, but now only one of them can advance to the next stage of play.
Colombia and South Africa are taking part in this year's edition of the North and Central American and Caribbean tourney as special guests.
Though Mexico came back strong after its initial 2-1 defeat by South Africa, thumping Guatemala 4-0 and edging out Jamaica by a score of 1-0, the squad's play has been less than sparkling.
The team's Argentine coach, Ricardo Lavolpe, will have to juggle his lineup because top scorer Jared Borgetti has been sidelined with two yellow cards.
Colombia's Reinaldo Rueda can at least count on all his starters for Saturday's match against a regional foe he knows very well.
The two sides last faced each other Feb. 27, battling to a 1-all draw in the northwestern Mexican city of Culiacan, but Colombian fans prefer to remember their squad's triumph over Mexico in the 2001 Copa America final.
The Mexico-Colombia tilt will be the second match of a Gold Cup doubleheader at Houston's Reliant Stadium, following the clash between South Africa and Panama. The quarterfinals get under way Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, with the pairings of Costa Rica-Honduras and U.S.-Jamaica.
Probable lineups for Sunday:
Mexico: Moises Muñoz, Hector Altamirano, Francisco Rodriguez, Ricardo Osorio, Carlos Salcido, Gonzalo Pineda, Luis Perez, Antonio Naelson, Gerardo Galindo, Alberto Medina and Rafael Marquez Lugo.
Colombia: Farid Ali Mondragon, Yulian Anchico, Oscar Enrique Passo, Humberto Mendoza, Aldo Leo Ramirez, Jose Julian De La Cuesta, Jairo Patiño, Jaime Castrillon, Abel Aguilar, Juan Fernando Leal and Martin Arzuaga.
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