Mexico heads into its second game of Copa America with three points in the bag, but they're one player short, and it's arguably their most important one.
El Tri will be without their captain and central midfielder Edson Alvarez for their second match at Copa America 2024, where Mexico takes on Venezuela, on Wednesday, June 26 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Alvarez suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Mexico's win over Jamaica, limping off the field with the help of two physios and subsequently being ruled out of at least the rest of the group stage, if not longer.
The injury leaves a void both in terms of a top-level player on the field but also the captain and leader. Others will need to step up for El Tri, and perhaps this is now the chance for Orbelin Pineda, Santiago Gimenez, and Luis Chavez to rally the red-and-green and keep them pushing in the same direction.
Venezuela is coming off a wild 2-1 win over Ecuador in Northern California, where they initially were down a goal while holding a man-advantage. The two substitutions made at halftime by coach Fernando Batista worked wonders as Jhonder Cadiz and Eduard Bello got the goals to complete the turnaround, giving the team plenty of confidence heading into this match.
MORE: Copa America 2024 schedule and results, updated LIVE
Mexico vs. Venezuela confirmed lineups, starting 11, team news
After losing Alvarez, coach Jaime Lozano will have to make at least one change to his lineup ahead of facing Venezuela. Luis Romo came off the bench to replace Alvarez and will take Alvarez's place in the lineup, as he currently plays as a holding midfielder for his club, Monterrey. But Carlos Rodriguez and Erick Sanchez are options too, as is moving Johan Vasquez into holding midfield and putting in another centerback, such as Jesus Orozco.
The wingers are also interchangeable, and while you can see Lozano going again with Julian Quinones and Uriel Antuna, it's certainly possible to see Alexis Vega or Marcelo Flores earning the start.
Mexico starting lineup: (4-3-3, right to left): Gonzalez — Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Arteaga — Romo, Chavez, Rodriguez — Antuna, Gimenez, Quinones.
Injured: Edson Alvarez.
Suspended: None
Venezuela coach Fernando Batista got a great reaction from his team after being down a goal at halftime despite being up a man. Eduard Bello, who entered at halftime and scored the game-winning goal, ends up making the start against Mexico. Bello should know many of the opponents well - he plays his club soccer for Mazatlan.
Otherwise, Venezuela had no injuries or suspensions from the first game, so we shouldn't expect to see too much change from the first match to this upcoming game.
Venezuela starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Romo — Aramburu, Ferraresi, Osorio, Navarro — Bello, Herrera, Martinez — Savarino, Rondon, Soteldo.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Mexico vs. Venezuela live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Copa America 2024 match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| Canada | TSN 1, 3, RDS | TSN+, RDS app |
| USA | Fox Sports 1, TUDN, Univision | Fubo, Fox Sports GO, TUDN app/website, Univision NOW, ViX |
| UK | Premier Sports 1 | Premier Sports Player |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | — |
Canada: Mexico's second match at the 2024 Copa America will be televised across TSN channels, with streaming on the broadcaster's dedicated platform, TSN+. There is a French broadcast available on RDS with streaming on the RDS App.
USA: In the United States, the match will be televised on Fox Sports 1. There is also a Spanish-language broadcast on both TUDN and Univision. All three channels will be available to stream on Fubo, who are offering a FREE trial for new users.
Australia: The home for the 2024 Copa America in Australia is Optus Sport, who is streaming every match of the competition from the group stage through the final.
UK: The entire 2024 Copa America will be televised in the United Kingdom on Premier Sports 1, with streaming on their platform, Premier Sports Player.
If this game is not available to watch live in your location or if you're traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
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