DALLAS -- Mexico's summer of injury woe could be set to get worse with coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino confirming Hector Moreno is a major doubt for the Gold Cup.
Moreno left the field in the 35th minute of Mexico's 3-2 win over Ecuador in AT&T Stadium with a left leg injury, which Martino didn't specify, and will go for tests, but El Tri's coach is not confident.
"I think there is a big chance he is out of the Gold Cup," said Martino in the news conference after the game, confirming that LA Galaxy's Uriel Antuna would be called up.
The news comes with a Mexico squad already severely depleted and without Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela, Hector Herrera, Miguel Layun and Hirving Lozano for the CONCACAF tournament.
"Tomorrow [Moreno] has to go to some tests, but it's always sad to hear about an injury and I hope it's nothing too hard for him because in the end he's a big piece for this national team inside and out of the field," Carlos Salcedo told reporters afterwards.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa said the temporary turf inside the stadium doesn't aid the players, suggesting that El Tri should play in venues usually used for soccer.
"They are the sporting circumstances, but you can also avoid them," Ochoa said. "We know they are commercial commitments that the federation has to play in stadiums that aren't [soccer] ones, that are artificial or temporary. Ecuador also had a player injured. That's the final result."
Ochoa also criticized the work Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti did in the second half of 2018 as temporary coach, while Martino stressed that he wants to play in next year's Copa America if at all possible.
"I've said it many times and I want to take advantage of you asking to clear it up," Martino said. "We want to play against the best and if we could play against Argentina, Brazil, Germany and France every day I would."
"I don't have the power to say 'this one yes, this one no' but it is what we want. Do we want to compete in the Copa America? Of course we want to compete in the Copa America. That's what will make Mexico grow."
"Of course we want to get out of the comfort zone of playing in the United States where we at home. We'd like to play Ecuador in Ecuador Chile in Santiago. Last year Mexico played in Argentina, but you know the commercial commitments better than me that our outside of the football side that we have to fulfill."
Martino said LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos was the best player on the pitch, while Ecuador manager Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez was full of praise for Mexico.
"I talked to Martino at the end of the game, there aren't any friendlies, it was like an official game," he said. "The Mexican team is like Mexican boxers, they never get knocked out."