One of the United States' largest obstacles in securing a Gold Cup Championship just got a little easier, as five Mexican national stars are banned from the Cup for violationg the substance abuse policy, the Associated Press reports.
Testing postive for the banned substance clenbuterol were goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodrigues and Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Antonio Naelson and Christian Bermudez.
Clenbuterol was the same substance for which that last year's Tour De France champion Alberto Contador tested postitive. Contador blamed contaminated beef, the same alibi the Mexican nationals are using, according to the secretary general of the Mexican soccer federation.
Mexico is the second-highest ranked team in the CONCACAF, according to FIFA.com world rankings, behind the U.S. Overall, Mexico is 28th internationally, while the U.S. is 18th — the only two teams participating in the Gold Cup in the top 50.
