Mexico’s pre-World Cup plans take shape with six games in the U.S. planned

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Mexico’s preparation for the 2010 World Cup will have Coach Javier Aguirre’s team playing at least a dozen games, including six in the United States and three in Europe.

Nestor de la Torre, the Mexican soccer federation’s director of national teams, said that the team intends to leave for Europe on May 19 and set up a pre-World Cup base camp in Herzogenaurach, Germany, where it will train for 12 days.

‘We have made contacts with leading national teams such as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, England and Belgium,’ De La Torre said, adding that Mexico hopes to play three high-level opponents in Europe before leaving for South Africa and the June 11-July 11 world championship.

Mexico also will play one warm-up match in South Africa.

Before leaving for Germany, Mexico will play six games in the U.S., with dates and opponents to be determined, and two games in Mexico.

Meanwhile, several other World Cup-bound teams have announced November friendlies as part of their early preparation. World champion Italy will play the Netherlands in Pescara, Italy, on Nov. 14 and Sweden in Cesena, Italy on Nov. 18.

Germany, the World Cup runner-up in 2002 and third-place finisher in 2006, announced that it will play Argentina on March 3 in Munich. Argentina will also play Spain on Nov. 14 in Madrid.

-- Grahame L. Jones