Mexican goalie may leave team after father's death

AP - The father of Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez died Wednesday of a heart attack, leaving his son's status for the World Cup uncertain.

Felipe Sanchez died in the family's hometown of Guadalajara, where Oswaldo Sanchez plays for Chivas, team spokesman Juan Jose Kochen said. The younger Sanchez was notified of his father's death around midnight German time, or mid-afternoon in Guadalajara.

Team and federation officials met early Thursday morning at their hotel to determine whether Sanchez would be available for Mexico's World Cup opener Sunday against Iran in Nuremberg, or whether he would return for his father's funeral.

Guillermo Cantu, the national team coordinator, said at a chaotic news conference outside the hotel that Sanchez was still in Goettingen and no decision would be announced until later Thursday.

"Tomorrow, we will have more details," Cantu said through an interpreter. "Now, at this moment, I am asking the press for privacy for the entire family and for Oswaldo."

Cantu said the Mexican federation had notified FIFA, soccer's international governing body, of the goalkeeper's situation.

The younger Sanchez, 32, had been coach Ricardo Lavolpe's clear choice to start after being a reserve for Mexico in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Lavolpe has two other keepers on his roster, Jesus Corona and Guillermo Ochoa, but neither has much international experience.

Cantu had already been scheduled to hold an early afternoon news conference at the team's training ground in Goettingen, following the team's closed practice session on Thursday.