The Mexican national soccer team will field its best roster in recent years to face a team it has always beaten.

El Tri will take on Venezuela on Tuesday in an exhibition match at Qualcomm Stadium in front of a crowd expected to top 60,000.

This game serves as El Tri's secondtolast tune-up match heading into the Gold Cup, which Mexico begins June 5 against El Salvador at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre is not leaving anything to chance against the South Americans. He's invited the best players from the domestic league and well as from outside of Mexico.

That means all the European-based players will be on hand against Venezuela. Also present will be Rafael Márquez, the veteran defender now with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.

From European clubs, the player that stands out is Manchester United's Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, who has scored 15 goals with his club in a season.

Hernández led Mexico to a 3-1 win Saturday in a friendly against Paraguay in Oakland, scoring two goals.

Mexico has previously played Venezuela at Qualcomm Stadium,on Feb. 28, 2007, and it was Hugo Sanchez's third match as El Tri's coach.

Sanchez was fired two years later after leading the team's poor performance.

This time, Venezuela will also be De La Torres' third match as Mexico's coach. But it appears his job is safe. The Mexican federation has said De la Torre will be the coach through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mexico and Venezuela have faced each other eight times, the first coming Feb. 14, 1938. El Tri won 1-0.

Mexico is 7-0-1 against Venezuela, which has received 19 Mexican goals in those eight games. Venezuela has only scored six times against Mexico. The tie (2-2) came in October in Ciudad Juarez.

Mexico will face Ecuador May 28 in Seattle in another exhibition match before beginning Gold Cup play.