|
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. |
