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Prior to its semifinal matchup against Honduras Wednesday in Houston, Mexico added depth to its roster following the suspension of five players earlier this month.

Coach Jose Manuel de la Torre has decided to bring in defenders Paul Aguilar, Hector Reynoso and Hiram Mier as replacements for the remainder of the Gold Cup.

Mexico U-22 goalkeeper Luis Mitchel and forward Marco Fabian left for Colombia Monday with the U-22 team but are on stand-by should the team need them.

Starting goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and starting defender Francisco Rodriguez were among the five players suspended for testing positive for clenbuterol.  Bench players Edgar Duenas, Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson were also banned from the team.

The Mexican Futbol Federation was officially informed by CONCACAF late Sunday night that it would be allowed to fill its 23-man roster.

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Labels: additions, following, Goalcom, Makes, Mexico, players, Roster, suspension

NEW YORK, June 19 (Reuters) - Mexico have been given permission to replace the five players who were suspended from the CONCACAF Gold Cup for failing out-of-competition doping tests.

The Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut) has denied their players did anything wrong, saying they tested positive for a banned anabolic agent after eating contaminated meat, and asked that they be replaced for the rest of the tournament.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup Organising Committee announced on Sunday it had agreed, after consulting with the sport’s world governing body, that Mexico be allowed to replace the players while the case is continuing.

“Based on the specific facts of this case, and on FIFA’s advice on the matter, the situation at hand is a case of force majeure as contemplated in the competition regulations,” CONCACAF said in a statement.

“Therefore the Mexican national team shall be permitted to replace the five …. players with up to five other players for the remainder of the competition.’

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Sinha and Christian Bermudez all tested positive for clenbuterol and were suspended from the regional tournament.

Femexfut attributed the positive results to ingestion of clenbuterol in meat eaten by the players when on a training camp in Mexico to prepare for the Gold Cup and has conducted independent tests they hope will exonerate them.

Despite being five players down since the opening match of the tournament, Mexico remain undefeated and are safely through to the semi-finals, against Honduras, in Texas this week. (Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Labels: cleared, CONCACAF, Mexico, players, replace, Reuters, suspended

NEW YORK (AP)—Gold Cup organizers say Mexico will be allowed to replace five players who were dropped from the squad after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

The organizing committee said Sunday that Mexico will be allowed to name five new players ahead of Wednesday’s semifinal against Honduras, and those players will also be available for the final if El Tri makes it that far.

The banned players are PSV Eindhoven defender Francisco Rodriguez and locally based Edgar Duenas, Guillermo Ochoa, Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson.

The players and the Mexican federation have blamed the positive tests on contaminated meat.

Labels: banned, Mexico, players, replace