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FIFA monitoring swine flu situation in Mexico

'Premature' to determine status of World Cup qualifying matches in June

Image: journalist watches game Reuters
A journalist wears a a surgical face mask during a Mexican league soccer match between America and Tecos on Sunday.

MEXICO CITY - Two Mexican soccer clubs had their Copa Libertadores matches moved to Colombia, and FIFA placed a question mark on World Cup qualifying matches in June because of the swine flu outbreak.

Mexican teams Chivas and San Luis will play their Copa Libertadores round of 16 games in Bogota next Wednesday. The governing body of South American soccer, CONMEBOL, confirmed the change Thursday for the clubs’ home matches.

The switch further deprives Mexican fans of watching their favorite sport in person. Every professional soccer game in Mexico this weekend — 176 matches in all divisions — will be played without fans in an effort to slow the spread of swine flu, which has hit this nation hard.

The Copa Libertadores games are expected to be played as a doubleheader.

“This move is only valid for this phase of the tournament,” Nestor Figueredo, executive secretary of CONMEBOL, told the Mexican federation.

Chivas reached the final 16 on Wednesday in a 1-1 draw against Chile’s Everton. San Luis qualified by beating Libertad of Paraguay 2-0 on Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, South America clubs expressed disquiet about playing in Mexico for Latin America’s most prestigious club championship.

Meanwhile, soccer’s world governing body said it will monitor the flu outbreak to determine whether six CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in June should go ahead.

Mexico is to play at El Salvador on June 6, and then play in Mexico City on June 10 against Trinidad and Tobago.

“To have a decision now about World Cup qualifiers in June would be a bit premature,” FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said in a telephone interview from Switzerland. “Of course, we will be monitoring the situation.”

He gave no indication when a decision might be made.

Four other World Cup qualifiers are scheduled for June in the United States or Central America: June 3, Costa Rica vs. U.S. in San Jose, Costa Rica; June 6, Trinidad and Tobago vs. Costa Rica in Bacolet, Trinidad; U.S. vs. Honduras in Chicago; June 10, Honduras vs. El Salvador in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Other sports — from to baseball to golf to auto racing — are also being hit hard by the spread of flu in Mexico.

CONCACAF canceled one event this week and postponed two others. Mexican pro baseball games were being played without fans and are now put off until next week, and summer international basketball and volleyball events are under threat.

Mexico NASCAR was called off this weekend, and the May 24 A1GP in Mexico City was canceled. The Mexico Open golf tournament was postponed, and a Central American youth basketball tournament set for June in Mexico will probably be moved to a venue in Central America.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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