Mexico captain Edson Álvarez injured in Copa América opener

Mexico captain Edson Álvarez will bear exams within the subsequent couple of days after being pressured off with an damage within the first half of his crew’s Copa América win over Jamaica on Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

After sprinting again throughout a counterattack from Jamaica, the West Ham midfielder abruptly hit the bottom in ache, clutching his left hamstring.

Álvarez needed to be helped off the sphere in apparent ache and was visibly distraught at his match, and doubtlessly his event, coming to an finish after lower than half-hour.

“With Edson, we will wait a few days to offer him an examination and know properly what he has,” Mexico supervisor Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano stated in a postgame information convention. “Clearly as it’s with another participant, the intention is to not danger something. He felt one thing in his leg.”

In each groups’ opening recreation of the competitors, Michail Antonio appeared to place Jamaica forward with a short-range header within the fiftieth minute, however the purpose was disallowed for offside following a video evaluation.

Mexico went on to safe a 1-0 victory, courtesy of Gerardo Arteaga’s 69th-minute strike from the sting of the penalty space.

“It is not straightforward to get better and stay balanced after your captain exits so quickly … however it appears to me that the crew stabilized rapidly,” Lozano added.

Talking on Friday, Álvarez acknowledged that he had “goosebumps” on the considered captaining Mexico for the primary time at a significant event.

Álvarez is a key skilled determine in a younger Mexico squad present process a generational change beneath Lozano on the Copa América. Since his debut with Mexico in February 2017, solely Jesús Gallardo has performed extra video games for El Tri than Álvarez’s 80.

He has additionally performed extra minutes for Mexico than another participant since Lozano took cost final yr.

Mexico will subsequent play Venezuela — which beat Ecuador 2-1 within the day’s different Group B match — at Inglewood, California, on Wednesday. The group finishes on June 30, when Mexico performs Ecuador at Glendale, Arizona.

Data from The Related Press was used on this report.