Dynamo’s Erick Torres receives call-up to Mexico’s national team.
Erick Torres and El Tri are together again.
Torres, the Dynamo’s leading scorer, has been called into Mexico’s national team for this month’s Gold Cup in the United States, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Chron- icle.
The source said the timing for Torres’ departure from the Dynamo is in question. The Dynamo have a home game Wednesday against the Montreal Impact. Mexico’s first group stage game in the tournament is Sunday.
Mexico is highly likely to qualify for the quarterfinals, which begin July 19. The semifinals are July 2223, and the final is July 26.
After Wednesday’s game, the Dynamo are off until July 19. Even if Torres plays Wednesday, he could miss two Dynamo games.
Torres has four caps and one goal with the national team, though he has not appeared with El Tri since 2015. He did play for the Olympic team last summer, but that competition is largely for under-23 players and not considered a full national team tournament.
For the Gold Cup, Torres is replacing fellow striker Alan Pulido. Pulido suffered an injury in Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay.
Torres was on Mexico’s 40-man preliminary roster for the Gold Cup but did not make the final 23man list. He heard about Pulido’s injury Saturday and was asked about potentially replacing him after the Dynamo’s game in Colorado.
“If the coaching staff thinks I could be a good element to the team, obviously I will do so proudly and the way Mexico should be represented,” Torres said through a translator. “The most important thing is that I feel good physically and mentally.”