Fortaleza: Veteran Mexico midfielder Carlos Salcido will replace the suspended Jose Juan Vasquez in Sunday's World Cup second-round match against the Netherlands, coach Miguel Herrera said on Saturday.
Salcido, 34, will win his 122nd cap playing at his third World Cup.
"Carlos is a player with a lot of experience," Herrera told a news conference at Fortaleza's Castelao arena.
"Maybe he doesn't give us the intensity that Vasquez gives but he has the experience. His timing is good, his positional sense is good and he's good from dead ball situations, and that could be key."
Vasquez is suspended after being booked twice in the group stage.
Herrera said the Mexicans would be otherwise unchanged from the team that beat Croatia in their last match, with Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos leading the attack and Javier Hernandez, known as Chicharito, on the bench again.
"Chicharito's been important for the team," Herrera said. "The thing I appreciate most is that's never let his head drop, which you can imagine he might have done given I haven't picked him to start."
The Mexicans were impressive in the group stage, beating Cameroon and Croatia and holding Brazil to a goalless draw.
"We've performed well in defence," Herrera said. "We've only conceded one goal, when we relaxed against Croatia four minutes from the end, something we can't afford to do."
Mexico are seeking to avoid a sixth consecutive second-round exit at the World Cup.
They were beaten by Bulgaria in 1994, by Germany in 1998, by the United States in 2002 and by Argentina in both 2006 and 2010, the first time thanks to a spectacular winner from Maxi Rodriguez.
"Apart from 2006 in Germany, we've maybe lacked ideas and the ability to surprise our opponents (in the second round)," Herrera said.
"I make the exception of 2006 because Mexico were clearly better than Argentina and deserved more, but we didn't get the goals and Maxi scored the kind of goal that you only see once or twice at a World Cup."
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