Colombia call up three uncapped players
BOGOTA - Colombia coach Eduardo Lara named uncapped midfielders Giovanni Moreno and Dorlan Pabon and striker Jackson Martinez on Thursday in his squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers.
Colombia are at home to Ecuador in Medellin on Saturday September 5 and visit Uruguay four days later.
Atletico Nacional's Moreno, 23, and 22-year-old Martinez of Independiente Medellin have been in fine goalscoring form in the league, a weakness in Colombia's qualifying campaign.
Atletico Junior playmaker Giovanni Hernandez has been recalled for the qualifiers for the first time since last October. Colombia, who last played at a World Cup in France in 1998, are seventh in the South American group with 17 points, three behind Ecuador in fifth, and have scored only seven goals in 14 matches.
There are four rounds to go. The top four in the group, which is led by Brazil, qualify for the 2010 finals in South Africa while the team finishing fifth goes into a playoff with a side from the CONCACAF region.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Agustin Julio (Santa Fe), David Ospina (Nice)
Defenders: Luis Perea (Atletico Madrid), Humberto Mendoza (Atletico Nacional), Pablo Armero (Palmeiras), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Mario Yepes (Chievo Verona), Ivan Cordoba (Inter Milan), Cristian Zapata (Udinese)
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Midfielders: Adrian Ramos (America), Jairo Palomino (Atletico Nacional), Fabian Vargas (Almeria), Jhon Viafara (Once Caldas), Freddy Guarin (Porto), Giovanni Hernandez (Atletico Junior), Cristian Marrugo (Deportes Tolima), Vladimir Marin (Toluca), Giovanni Moreno (Atletico Nacional), Juan Pablo Pino (Monaco), Dorlan Pabon (Envigado)
Forwards: Radamel Falcao Garcia (Porto), Teofilo Gutierrez (Atletico Junior), Hugo Rodallega (Wigan Athletic), Jackson Martinez (Independiente Medellin)