Lavolpe must cut three from team; who will it be?

	Of Mexico's attackers, star Omar Bravo (left) is a lock to make the final cut, but will 19-year-old Andrés Guardado be so lucky? AP
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Mexico will bid farewell to more than just its fans in Friday night's friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Estadio Azteca. Ranked No. 70 in the current FIFA rankings, the African nation should serve as the proper send-off for El Tricolor as it heads into the final stretch of its two-week-long training camp in preparation for next month's World Cup.

But a trio of players will also be bidding adios to El Tri. Mexico head coach Ricardo Lavolpe must trim his squad from 26 to 23 by Monday. Friday's game could be several players' final chance to show their coach their true worth.

Ever since Lavolpe released the provisional 26-man roster on April 2, speculation has been rampant about players 24, 25 and 26. A handful of surprise inclusions, coupled with a few players' fall from grace, have been more than enough to fuel the speculation, which will finally end in the coming days.

To be sure, many of these players are locks. Lavolpe only called three goalkeepers, so Oswaldo Sánchez, José de Jesús Corona and Guillermo Ochoa are all assured of going to Germany. Defenders Rafael Márquez, Carlos Salcido, Gonzalo Pineda, Ricardo Osorio and Francisco Javier "Maza" Rodríguez are safe. In the midfield, Pavel Pardo is a lock while Antonio "Zinha" Naelson, Luis Pérez and Ramón Morales are also out of harm's way. Like the goalkeepers, the forwards have always been secure as Lavolpe chose to include only four strikers: Jared Borgetti, Francisco "Kikin" Fonseca, Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco.

The three players on their way out are likely among the rest of the squad: defenders Mario Méndez, José Antonio "Gringo" Castro, Joel Huiqui and Claudio Suárez and midfielders Jaime Lozano, Gerardo Torrado, Israel López, Rafael "Chiquis" García, Andrés Guardado and Jesús Arellano.

Certainly all of them have a case for making the team.

"We have a lot of great players," Pardo said before Mexico's 1-0 win over Venezuela on May 5. "We don't have a first team or a second team."

Nobody wants to be left behind while the rest of the team seeks World Cup glory. Still, Lavolpe will make his cuts on Monday, and reportedly it could happen after the Congo game. Here are the cases for and against the likely bubble players.

José Antonio "Gringo" Castro, D 
For: A talented player on the right side, Castro is not only valuable now, he also figures to be in the national-team mix for years to come.
Against: He's young and inexperienced at the international level and might be better served gaining experience in next year's Copa America.

Mario Méndez, D
For: Like Castro, Méndez plays on the right side. His speed and skill have earned him the chance to partake in more meaningful competition, such as last year's Confederations Cup squad.
Against: He has been inconsistent in league play.

Claudio Suárez, D
For: Márquez is the only other defender who has played in a World Cup. Nothing rattles the 37-year-old Suárez, who is as fit as he's been in years.
Against: Does he have the speed and mobility to compete at the highest level?