Mexico's squad announcement for the Copa America was anything but a formality, with the news Giovani dos Santos rejected a call-up and Carlos Vela was left out come as major shocks.
Here are five things to know from El Tri's Copa America squad.
Dos Santos rejects call
Mexico head coach Juan Carlos Osorio's revelation that Dos Santos was going to be called up for the Copa America in the United States, but then declined the invitation, drew a sharp intake of breath.
Dos Santos was expected to be on the list, following his good recent form at the LA Galaxy. But the omission is also in line with what has been a rocky relationship for the forward with El Tri, ever since the forward sent out a tweet applauding former Mexico coach Miguel Herrera after he swung at a TV commentator the day after winning the Gold Cup last summer.
Dos Santos was due to speak on SiriusXM FM radio just after the squad was announced and although he didn't want to talk about national team issues, he did say he "didn't know" if he would be in Mexico's Copa America squad. It seemed to contradict what Osorio had said minutes earlier.
Dos Santos then sent out a series of tweets lamenting the fact he couldn't play this time for Mexico and stating he hopes to return soon.
While Osorio has said the door is open for Dos Santos in the future, this has all the same traits of the Carlos Vela saga before the last World Cup, when the player -- then in top form -- rejected the chance to play for Mexico at Brazil 2014.
Theories will fly, especially with his friend Vela and brother Jonathan left out by Osorio due to form, but until Dos Santos explains his position, what exactly happened will remain a mystery.
Vela, Jonathan also left out
Osorio said Vela and Jonathan dos Santos agreed with the coaching staff that a summer of rest would be best for their careers and the Mexican national team moving forward.
Still, they are difficult decisions to understand. Vela hasn't had his best season for Real Sociedad, as Osorio acknowledged, and has had some disciplinary issues, but remains perhaps Mexico's most naturally talented individual. The fact he can play on either wing and as a central striker would surely have benefited Osorio, who will most likely play a 4-3-3 formation in the tournament.
But even more than Vela missing out, Jonathan not being at the Copa America has to be the major shock. This is a player who has started 20 games in La Liga for Villarreal this season. The former Barcelona midfielder has helped his club to a Champions League spot and a run to the semifinals of the Europa League.
Mexico has few players featuring at that level for their clubs and the 26-year-old appears to be an ideal candidate in the holding midfield role in a national team setup that likes to play the ball on the ground.
What the omissions do send, however, is a clear message to Mexican players everywhere that they won't be able to coast into the squad, whatever their name is.
Osorio makes some original picks
Minutes after the squad was announced, and the Dos Santos news died down a tiny bit, there was already criticism about some of the other names on the list.
One journalist in the news conference asked specifically why Queretaro's Yasser Corona was named, considering he hasn't even been an automatic starter of late for his club side. Then there was Jesus Molina being chosen over Jose Juan Vazquez in the defensive midfield role, and Jurgen Damm over Chivas' Isaac Brizuela on the wing. Carlos Pena's inclusion also came in for criticism, especially in the wake of his poor performance for Chivas against America last weekend.
The answers to those questions lie with the specific way Osorio views football management. For example, the Colombian will have wanted a natural left-footed center-back to back up Hector Moreno and, considering the shortage of Mexicans possessing those two attributes, it was likely a straight choice between Tigres' Jose Rivas and Corona for that spot.
And in the holding midfield role, Molina offers a more physical presence than Vazquez, for defending set-pieces and neutralizing bigger sides.
Osorio's choices may not always be obvious or popular, but they will be based on very specific factors that he wants to see from his team and aren't just a whim.
Olympic-aged players saved for Rio
Mexico's Olympic gold defense in Rio de Janeiro this August seems to have taken priority for those players who make the under-23 age limit: Only Porto's Jesus "Tecatito" Corona and Pachuca's Hirving Lozano made the cut.
That leaves the likes of Rodolfo Pizarro (Pachuca), Orbelin Pineda (Chivas) and Carlos Salcedo (Chivas) on the outside, saved for the Olympics when they must have been close to the full national team squad if this wasn't an Olympic year.
The result is an experienced Mexico squad for the Copa America, with the vast majority of players in their prime.
But it begs the questions of which players will feature as one of the three over-age players at the Olympics, with El Tri sporting director Santiago Banos confirming the federation is still trying to get PSV's permission to take Andres Guardado to Brazil. Perhaps the fact Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Dos Santos were left off the Copa America squad may also have something to do with that.
Fierce battle for goalkeeping spot
It's like the spring of 2014 all over again: only then it was Miguel Herrera with the deciding vote in a national debate about who should be the starting goalkeeper. Alfredo Talavera, Guillermo Ochoa and Jesus Corona are all once again in the same squad, this time under Osorio, and it'll be a close-run battle to see who starts.
Talavera would've been the clear front-runner just a couple of months ago, but Ochoa's minutes and form for Malaga have changed the landscape since.