The Mexican national football team has decided to change its hotel in Los Angeles due to safety concerns related to ongoing protests against immigration raids in the city, a team spokesperson confirmed.
Idman.biz reports, citing ESPN, Mexico is set to face the Dominican Republic in their opening Gold Cup match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Saturday.
Originally, the team was scheduled to stay in a downtown Los Angeles hotel, but Concacaf has approved a relocation to another, as-yet-undisclosed hotel, according to spokesperson Fernando Schwartz speaking to the Associated Press. Sources informed ESPN’s Omar Flores that the team will now stay in Long Beach to avoid potential unrest in the downtown area.
Concacaf, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has yet to release an official statement regarding the move.
At a press conference held Monday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina — where Mexico is preparing for a friendly match against Turkiye — head coach Javier Aguirre declined to discuss the situation in Los Angeles.
"I'm not going to talk about Los Angeles, I already told you. We're here to talk sports," Aguirre said. "I can’t comment. We're far away, focused on Turkiye, and I only know what I've seen on TV."
Following the game against the Dominican Republic, Mexico will travel to Arlington, Texas, for a match against Suriname, before finishing the group stage against Costa Rica in Las Vegas.
Idman.biz
