Mexicans Abroad: Guille Gets Goal

By Andrea Martinez

The World Cup is still quite a ways away but Mexican striker Guillermo Franco is stating his case to be a starter now. Franco, one of three Mexicans who plies his trade in England, has instantly become the most successful of the three in league this season with one fell swoop. Franco scored his first-ever EPL goal in a 2-2 draw with Sunderland.

Spain

Rafael Marquez (Barcelona) - Rafael Marquez captained the side that beat Cultural Leonesa 0-2 in the Copa del Rey. He then had a tough time as he came on in the 61st minute for Barcelona’s last minute 1-1 draw against Osasuna.  

Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña) - Guardado played all 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Real Sporting de Gijon. The midfielder didn’t play in the 1-0 midweek match against Real Murcia in the Copa del Rey.  

Hugo Sanchez (Almeria) - Hugo’s team lost 2-1 against Hercules in the Copa del Rey, and once again against Zaragoza, 2-1.  

Jonathan Dos Santos (Barca Atletic) - Dos Santos played the last 10 minutes in the Copa del Rey win over Cultural Leonesa midweek. He then played all 90 minutes against UDA Gramenet in a 3-1 win.

Juan Seguro (Real Union Club de Irun) - Seguro stayed on the bench for the 2-0 win over Celta Vigo.  

Germany

Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart) - The defender played 71 minutes against Gruether Fuerth where he lost 1-0 in the German Cup. Over the weekend Osorio played 14 minutes before getting injured in the 0-0 draw against Bayern Munchen. He will be out for an estimated three weeks.  

Italy

Michael Layun (Atalanta) - Cagliari won 3-0 against Layun’s Atalanta. The midfielder played 23 minutes. He did not play midweek in the Coppa Italia clash against Livorno where his team lost 1-0.  

England

Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspurs) - Dos Santos remains out injured.  

Carlos Vela (Arsenal) -Vela was slated to start the midweek clash in the Carling Cup against Liverpool, but was left out of the squad with a knee injury. He was not part of the squad for the game against Tottenham Hotspurs where Arsenal won 3-0.  

Guillermo Franco (West Ham) - Franco opened up his Premier League scoring account in the 2-2 draw against Sunderland. The striker scored the first goal in the 30th minute and played 72 minutes.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido (PSV) - Salcido started in the 2-0 win over Roda JC. He stayed on the bench for the 1-0 win over Vitesse.  

Francisco ‘Maza’ Rodriguez (PSV) - ‘Maza’ Rodriguez played all 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over Roda JC. He again played all 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over Vitesse.  

Hector Moreno (AZ Alkaamar) - Moreno’s AZ won 5-2 against Spakenburg with a 5-2 score line in the Dutch Cup. The defender wasn’t on the field. He once again took part in the starting line up over the weekend in the 1-0 win over Groningen for all 90 minutes.  

Hungary

Juan ‘Kichi’ Perez (FC Tatabanya) - Perez wasn’t on the field for the 1-0 loss against FC Ajka.  

Finland

Alberto Ramirez (FC Inter Turku) - Ramirez played all 90 minutes in the 2-1 win over Tampere United in the Finnish Cup. His club has now secured a place in European competition next season.  

Greece

Antonio de Nigris (Larissa) - De Nigris started the game but was sent off at the end of the first half as Larissa drew 2-2 against Aris Salonika.  

Ukraine

Nery Castillo (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk) - Castillo wasn’t even on the bench for the 2-1 loss against Tavriya.  

United States

Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago) - Blanco celebrated his announcement of his future in Veracruz by playing 90 minutes in a 2-1 playoff-opening loss to New England.

Luis Angel Landin (Houston) - Landin saw 11 minutes of action as a late-game substitute in Houston's scoreless draw at Seattle in their playoff opening match.

Eduardo Lillingston (Chivas USA) - Chivas USA's leading scorer during the regular season could not make his way into Chivas USA's game against the LA Galaxy and watched the 2-2 playoff-opening draw from the sidelines.

Mariano Trujillo (Chivas USA) - Trujillo dressed but did not play in the club's 2-2 tie against the Galaxy.

Claudio Suarez (Chivas USA) - Suarez did not dress for Chivas USA but received a framed jersey of himself in what was likely his final home game.

Ecuador

Carlos Moran (Cuenca) - Moran remained on the bench as Cuenca beat Espoli 1-0. Cuenca now in first place of group B in qualification for the Copa Libertadores.  

Peru

Rodolfo Espinoza (Club Universitario de Deportes) - Espinoza made it on to the field for all 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over Bolognesi.  

Emmanuel Cerda (Club Universitario de Deportes) - Cerda played the full game as his team beat Bolognesi 1-0.  

Nathanial Revetria (Sport Ancash on loan from River, Uruguay) - Revetria wasn’t called on for the 1-0 loss against Jose Galvez.  

Venezuela

Rodrigo Prieto (Caracas FC) - Prieto was used a substitute in the 76th  minute in the 2-1 win over Estudiantes de Merida.  

Colombia

Mario Garcia (Boyaca Chico FC) - Mario Garcia played all 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over Deportivo Pasto.

Andrea Martinez covers Mexican football for Goal.com.

For more coverage of Mexicans Abroad, visit Goal.com's Mexico page.