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USA vs. Mexico Countdown: The day before (Running Commentary)

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Good afternoon folks. It is the day before the big USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier and today is the main press availability for the match as well as the day most fans and media are getting in to town.

There is a lot going on today so I decided to offer a running commentary on the day. Why? Well, Why not?

Let's get started:

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6:10pm- That's it from here. No controversies, no bulletin board material. Everyone kept it PC. Thanks for following along.

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6:02pm- Apologies for the delay but there was a big scrum at the end so there was a chance for some one on ones with Donovan and Bradley. The highlight of the session was Donovan being asked to pose with one of those infamous voodoo dolls being given away in Mexico. Donovan wasn't too interested in posing for a picture but I did get a picture of Donovan looking at the doll. He actually tossed it aside when asked to pose with it, not in a nasty way but in a playful way.

Donovan actually avoided any real bulletin board material for once. Something that disappointed the big horde of Mexican media. 

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5:43pm– "I think that type of surface makes for a good game and our players have enjoyed the nights when the game gets played that way and it looks like it's going to be another one so we hope to turn that into our advantage."

Bradley on the fast field at Crew Stadium.

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5:41pm- "since this game was announced two months ago I've been looking forward to it," Donovan said. "I've known that February 11 would be a special day."

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5:40pm- The Mexican fans outside are singing "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Canta, No Llore." Must be practicing for tomorrow.

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5:39pm– Donovan on how he learned how to speak Spanish. "I had a youth team with a lot of Latino players so i had to learn Spanish so I could get the ball."

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5:35pm- Donovan on feeling pressure in this game "Every game has pressure but specially when we are at home. Every game is important. We only play 10 games (in qualifying) and we need points from every game."

"We always feel pressure against Mexico because it's a big game, but more because it's a World Cup qualifier."

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5:33pm- Bradley on the weather, "You can never really prepare for certain kind of days." He doesn't look concerned.

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5:30pm- Sven's press conference is over and Bob Bradley and Landon Donovan are on the stage.

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5:27pm- Sven gives the U.S. team some credit for being a strong team, with strong AND skilled players. he mentions Landon Donovan's speed as a cause for concern. Yes, he's Captain Obvious.

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5:26pm- Sven points out that Carlos Salcido and Guillermo Franco has had just one training session.

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5:24pm- Sven plugs Special 1 TV. Just kidding.

"I hope we come into the game humble because when you look at the statistics we haven't won in nine years. Every Mexican knows this will be a difficult game."

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5:21pm- Sven said he did NOT have a voodoo doll.

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5;20pm– "I'm Swedish, sorry." Sven's comment when asked if he thought the voodoo dolls would help Mexico.

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5:19pm– Sven points out that Wembley was closed just before he took the England job and opened the game after he was fired. The comment came when asked about whether England had a preferred venue for tough opponents like

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5:17pm– Sven on the rumors of him being linked to Portsmouth and Chelsea jobs:

"It's no distraction at all. If Chelsea wants me, the owner will phone me. I know (Roman Abramovich) well, the owner has my numbers, so I don't think that's the problem, and I promise you that he has not phoned me."

"It's not bad to be linked to such good jobs."

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5:15pm- A question in swedish from a Swedish journalist. The whole room looks completely clueless.

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5:13pm– "We will qualify for the World Cup and look to win tomorrow."

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5:11pm– Sven on Wednesday being his last game if Mexico loses, "I have a contract until 2010 and am thinking of that. I never think about the possibility of not coaching here after that. In soccer you never know, but I am confident we will qualify for the World Cup.

"The question was brilliant" Sven said when asked about whether he could be gone if the team loses.

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5:09- Sven says, "We are ready, we have trained and prepared and we are ready."

"It's not only against the United states we have a bad record at home." He points out that Mexico has only won seven road games against the five other teams in the Hex in the past 50 years.

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5:07pm- Sven just said the field is in good shape so it sounds like worries about the condition of the pitch have been eased.

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5:05– Sam's Army is hosting a party at Claddagh's Irish Pub.

Claddagh Irish Pub
585 S Front St # 100E
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 224-1560

Sven is here.

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5pm– If any SBI readers are in Columbus they should know that the two main U.S. national team's supporter's groups are hosting parties in town tonight. I'll post the info in a minute.

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4:49– Still no Sven. Someone might want to check the local strip club.

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4:53pm– for those of you interested, yes Sacha Kljestan has cut his long hair off and yes, Oguchi Onyewu is sporting a beard. It's not a Freeway beard, but it's pretty impressive.

Landon Donovan arrived last night and apparently the Mexican media found out when he was arriving and swarmed him at the airport. It's fair to say he's a bigger star in Mexico than in the United States.

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4:51– The full army of top American soccer journalists is here, including Graham Jones, Steve Goff, Michael Lewis, George Vescey and Filip Bondy. Oh, and Luis Arroyave is here too. (Kidding folks, Luis is my homey).

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4:49– Sven hasn't shown up yet, neither have any of the other Setanta puppets.

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4:48– The Mexican team has finished training and the U.S. team will train pretty soon. For those wondering, it is a wet and overcast day. Not heavy rain, but it's kind of miserable.

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4:46– There is a large group of Mexican fans standing outside of Crew Stadium. They just broke out with a chant of "Si Se Puede" as Mexican players walked by for training. Not sure if that chant is encouraging or saddening. It certainly shows the state of this series.

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4:45pm– The Sven Goran Eriksson press conference is supposed to start now, but we all know it won't start on time.

Comments

  1. September 5 right here in Sandy as Rio Tinto Stadium is set to host the U.S. Men’s National Team in their 2010 World Cup Qualifying clash with El Salvador.

    Reply
  2. Ives,

    you are doing great things on here, don’t worry about criticism. I mean Mexico has voodoo dolls for God’s sake and this is the only place I don’t get called a gringo when I comment

    Reply
  3. I guess that I’m the only one that thought the Ives was interviewing Sven at the bar.

    Brilliant!

    ==========================================
    5:05- Sam’s Army is hosting a party at Claddagh’s Irish Pub.

    Claddagh Irish Pub
    585 S Front St # 100E
    Columbus, OH 43215
    (614) 224-1560

    Sven is here.

    Reply
  4. De la sierra morena cielito lindo vienen bajando …. ay ay ay ayyyy caaaanta y no lloooresss porque cantando se alegran cielito lindo los corazones !! is our second national anthem and always will be wherever the Mex NT will be playing ,

    Dos a cero MEX shut up gringos!!

    Reply
  5. Don’t worry Ives – sometimes people try to make a big deal about stuff that just isn’t there. Nothing can be done without SOMEONE taking offense. It’s your blog, you can be biased/unbiased if you want. Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  6. Can someone help me out and tell me how I was being unbiased in this post? I make fun of Sven and Mexico fans and I’m biased? Settle down people. Sometimes a joke is just a joke.

    Reply
  7. “and im also sure obama came up that “yes we can” on his own the mexicans werent the first to say t and wont be the last. you dont have to give credit for a phrase it ridic. im sure he was scouring th ever so successful and popular south american political scene for slogans.”

    Cesar Chavez was American, you genius. He’s a very famous Mexican-American who improved work conditions for thousands of people. You should show some respect and give credit where it’s due.

    Reply
  8. no fn kidding peopel are so (lame) nowadays you cant say anything without people being critical. and im also sure obama came up that “yes we can” on his own the mexicans werent the first to say t and wont be the last. you dont have to give credit for a phrase it ridic. im sure he was scouring th ever so successful and popular south american political scene for slogans. thats kind of an oxymoron sucess and south american politics or meixcan politics.

    Reply
  9. Ekker- I’d also add that ESPN has never pretended to be unbias (just listen to the in-game commentary). So why would one of their regular contributors be any different? Just accept the slant from Ives, ESPN, Univision, FSC, or any other place…so long as you recognize it and don’t accept it has unbias then there is no harm, imo.

    Reply
  10. arent top american soccer journalists NOT supposed to be so blatantly biased?

    ives?

    Posted by: ekker

    ________________________________________

    Ives is an independent journalist covering soccer “his way” for HIS website. He can cover it any way he so chooses and he can express his personal preferences any way that he chooses.

    He’s not a part of a media organization that promises to be fair and equal to all parties. He’s his own company.

    Reply
  11. this is petty, I know, but I feel that something needs to be said… Can’t US Soccer name some official bars where beers don’t cost $6+?

    Posted by: Russ |

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    Russ,

    I don’t know if you know this or not…but feel free to go to whatever bar you want to watch the game.

    Reply
  12. this is petty, I know, but I feel that something needs to be said… Can’t US Soccer name some official bars where beers don’t cost $6+?

    Reply
  13. Graham Jones is a top American soccer journalist? Seriously? For breaking stories? For his story-behind-the story analysis? For his in-depth knowledge of the game? For his comprehensive coverage? It brings me no joy to be hard on the guy’s work, but Los Angeles lacks dedicated, compelling soccer journalism.

    Reply
  14. This is officially “HexaCrack.” Can’t get enough news about the match right now… Refreshing all my normal reads every 10 minutes or so. Thanks, Ives.

    Reply
  15. “He points out that Mexico has only won seven road games against the five other teams in the Hex in the past 50 years.”

    Ives, any idea what the US record is like? Is it worse? I can’t remember many away victories in the last 20 years…

    Reply
  16. Si Se Puedo = Yes We Can– stated in the Mexican/Mexican American, others races marches headed by Cesar Chavez

    Obama should credit were its due, so shuold el Tri

    Reply
  17. Sure, he says that today – wait until the inch of rain comes tomorrow during the day and in to the evening. It’s easily the bed field in the US but the weather tomorrow will not be kind.

    Ives – Say hey to the gang, work has kept me late so I couldn’t make the press conference tonight. See you tomorrow.

    Reply
  18. sí se puede is what Mexicans always yell at any sporting, academic etc. events… no big deal, just as common as can be and meant to encourage and animate. To me it has always seemed to lack faith, but it has rhythm, rhyme, etc.

    I much prefer what they yell at opposing goalkeepers when they kick the ball…

    Reply

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