Women Intl Friendly Preview: USA v. Mexico
The United States Women’s National Team will finish out their rather anemic 2005 schedule tomorrow against a young side from Mexico. They hope to continue their 838-minute, yearlong shutout streak, which started the last time these two squads met, a 5-0 victory last December—the farewell match for Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Joy Fawcett.
U.S. coach Greg Ryan has made four changes to the squad since last Sunday’s game against Australia, the most significant of which is the addition of forward Heather O’Reilly. With her speed, she is sure to create some chances either for herself or her teammates. The backline remains intact, while newcomers Carli Lloyd (1 cap) and Leslie Osborne (10 caps) are being given a shot in midfield. Goalkeeper Jenni Branam has also been added to the roster.
Unfortunately, the Tricolores are not at full-strength. The absense of attacking wonder and former WUSA player Maribel Dominguez and UCLA forward Iris Mora leaves questions as to how seriously the U.S. backline may be tested. Although captain Monica Gonzalez, a former Notre Dame and WUSA star, will anchor the team at defense, behind her will only be second-string keeper Pamela Tajonar. However, it would not be wise to underestimate the Mexicans, considering how far they have come in such a short period of time.
Currently ranked 26th in the world, Mexico was the first Spanish-speaking country to qualify for both the Women’s World Cup (1999) and the Olympic Games (2004). Head coach Leo Cuellar, himself a former captain of the Mexican national team, has been credited with much of the success of a program that was nearly nonexistent before 1998. The most recent match for the team was a 2-0 loss to Australia last week.
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No end to women murders in Mexico
This year has been one of the worst for the murder of women in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez since a wave of killings started there in 1993, an official says.
Mexico's human rights ombudsman, Jose Luis Soberanes, said that 28 women had been murdered so far in 2005.
He called for a co-ordinated and tough effort by all levels of government to prevent more deaths in the city.
More than 300 women have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez. There is no generally accepted motive for the killings.
They have been variously attributed to serial killers, drug
Lopez Obrador's Lead Cut in Mexico Presidential Poll
Former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the frontrunner in presidential opinion polls for more than two years, lost ground in a November poll, the first since the major parties chose their candidates.
The nationwide poll by Consulta Mitofsky found Lopez Obrador's likely voters fell to 29.5 percent of those surveyed from 37.9 percent in August. Support for President Vicente Fox's National Action Party grew, with 24.4 percent saying they'd vote for Felipe Calderon compared with backing of 20.2 percent in August for the party's then-leading candidate, former Interior Minister Santiago Creel.
In Mexico, women's advocates make slow but steady gains against violence
Sandra Garcia says her father beat her when she was a child. Now 18, she isn't afraid to talk about it, unlike her mother, who kept quiet even as the same man brutalized her and rarely let her leave the house, much less work.
"I'm getting therapy because I don't want to let what happened to me destroy my life the way it destroyed my mother's life," said the young woman, who receives counseling at a Mexico City clinic. "She never reported the violence she suffered because she didn't know how
PM confident Mexico won't try to extradite Canadian women
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is confident Mexico will not seek to extradite two Thunder Bay women whom Mexican authorities have said are linked to the murders of a Toronto couple at a Cancun-area resort.
"We're told once again, and we've been saying this for some time, there is no extradition demand pending nor is there one anticipated in the near future," the prime minister said.
Harper made the comments Friday during the closing news conference at a summit with U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox in Cancun.
Mexican
Bulgaria beat Mexico 3-0 in friendly
Mexico continued their poor form against European opposition when they lost 3-0 to Bulgaria in a friendly in Houston on Wednesday.
Hristo Stoichkov's team spent most of the game soaking up Mexican pressure but were lethal on the counter-attack, scoring through Yanko Valkanov and Valeri Bozhinov in the first half and Dimitar Berbatov 10 minutes from time.
Mexico, who have qualified for next year's World Cup finals in Germany, have beaten Brazil and Argentina since Ricardo La Volpe took over as coach after the 2002 tournament but are winless in six outings against European sides.
Previously, they had
Two women prime suspects in Mexico slayings
Two Canadian women, their whereabouts unknown, are the primary suspects in the brutal double slaying of an Ontario couple at a luxurious seaside resort near Cancun, a Mexican State Attorney spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
In a phone interview from his office in Chetumal, Mexico, Felipe Duran said he could not confirm the women's identities or media reports that they had returned to Canada.
"They are no longer in this state, nor, according to reports, in the country," Mr. Duran said. "But we don't know where (they went)."
Domenico Ianiero, 59, and his wife, Annunziata, 55, of Woodbridge, Ont.,
Women's murders rise in city on U.S.-Mexico border
- The number of women murdered in this notorious city on the U.S. border has surged this year, despite a government effort to crack down on crime, prosecutors said on Thursday.
More than 340 women have been strangled, beaten and stabbed to death in Ciudad Juarez, south of El Paso, Texas, in a 12-year killing spree that has provoked outrage in Mexico and abroad and led to calls for decisive government action to end the crimes.
Chihuahua state prosecutors said 30 women and young girls were murdered in the industrial city from Jan. 1 to
Mexico has point to make in World Cup tune-up
There is nothing friendly or relaxed about tonight's exhibition soccer match between Mexico and Bulgaria at Reliant Stadium. At least not to the Mexican players and coaches.
Tricolores head coach Ricardo La Volpe made that clear by closing practice at the Texans' outdoor field Tuesday.
At practice's end, the Profe — short for professor in Spanish — calmly walked away without uttering a word as hordes of media invaded the field, as if saying to his pupils: "Take care of it. You know what to do."
Apparently they do. And they hope to prove it
Mexico beats Hungary in friendly
Francisco Fonseca and Joel Huiqui both scored goals in each half and Mexico beat Hungary 2-0 Wednesday night in an exhibition match.
The win was the first in seven games against a European team for Mexico since Ricardo La Volpe took over as national coach after the 2002 World Cup.
The exhibition was part of the Mexico's five-game U.S. tour in preparation for the World Cup in Germany next year.
Fonseca scored on a header from about 10 yards out in the 32nd minute. Juan Pablo Rodriguez crossed the ball to Fonseca off a corner kick and
Estoril Preview: Mexico
British F3 National Class champion Salvador Duran will fly to Lisbon, this morning (from England), to participate in Round Three of A1 Grand Prix Nations Cup to be held at the 4.36 Km. Estoril racetrack, located in Portugal, scenario where the FIA Formula One used to race until mid 90s.
"I've been at the gym training for this race. I'm glad for the opportunity of being able to return to compete for my country with the A1 GP Team Mexico," Duran said, who could not participate in last race in Germany because it coincided with Formula Three British National
