Top Stories

Top Five USMNT matches in 2009

 OnyewuToni (ISiphotos.com)   

                                                        Photo by ISIphotos.com

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

With the United States Men's National Team set to take on Sweden on Saturday you would figure the 2009 opener would draw more excitement. While the match will draw attention, this is the only game on this year's schedule that is listed as a friendly. The remainder of the American matches are either World Cup qualifiers, Confederations Cup clashes or Gold Cup tilts.

Here are the top five matches to look forward to in 2009 if you are a United States follower (the USMNT's World Cup qualifying visit to Honduras narrowly missed the cut):

5. at Costa Rica, 06/03, World Cup Qualifier

Just days prior to leaving for South Africa for the 2009 Confederations Cup, Bob Bradley will have to round up the troops, most of which will have just finished grinding out their European seasons, to prepare for the first of two qualifiers before leaving for Africa.

The first game will be away against Costa Rica in a stadium that has been less than kind to the stars and stripes, Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma, also simply known by U.S. fans as "Saprissa".

The Americans have dropped their past five games at Costa Rica's coveted stadium and have failed to score in their last two World Cup qualifiers, losing 3-0 in 2005 and 2-0 four years prior.

The stadium which holds 24,000 people will surely test the Americans and Bradley must make sure he has the group focused on the World Cup qualifier. It might be a tough circumstance if you factor in that the Americans will not have played together since April. But the two-month hiatus and the hostile crowd have to be overlooked if they are to leave Costa Rica with at least a point.

4. vs. Brazil, 06/18, Confederations Cup

The Americans' second match of the Confederations Cup this summer pits them against the 2005 and 1997 Confederations Cup champs, Brazil. The United States will have just come off their third match in the month of June and will have to muster up all they've got for the 'Selecao'.

The core group of Americans should be familiar with Ronaldinho, Kaka and co. as back in September of 2007 the Americans played host to Dunga's team in Chicago. The Brazilians beat the reigning Gold Cup champions 4-2 that afternoon, but the Americans played impressively in one of its best performances under Bradley.

Consider that the United States had the tandem of Josh Wolff and an out-of-position Clint Dempsey playing forward that day and suddenly this 2009 American squad's chances improve dramatically.

With Dempsey back at his natural position and with a forward pool that's noticeably deeper — with guys like Jozy Altidore, Kenny Cooper and Charlie Davies now in the mix – it's possible for the U.S. to not only play well again, but to also achieve a result.

3. vs. Italy, 6/15, Confederations Cup

The drama-filled 2006 World Cup match prepares for its sequel as the United States opens up its Confederations Cup campaign against Italy. A grueling encounter is most certain to repeat and if you throw in the fact that New Jersey-born Giuseppe Rossi has a good chance of making the Italian side this summer then you have one entertaining match on your hands.

Every American fan remembers the physical, bloody 1-1 match the United States had against Italy back in the 2006 World Cup, and the American players remember it too. Players such as Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra and Landon Donovan will look for vengeance and a victory over the Azzurri.

The game will not only serve as a reminder of the 2006 battle but it will also give Bob Bradley a feel of how his team has improved (or worsened) in a year's time against heavyweight competition after playing England, Spain and Argentina in 2008. This match will set the tone for the Americans' Confederations Cup run and quite possibly the remainder of the build-up to the 2010 World Cup.

2. at Mexico, 8/12, World Cup Qualifier

Just like with Costa Rica, the Americans have yet to win a match away against Mexico in historic Estadio Azteca, but if there was ever a year in which to do so, 2009 is that year.

Mexico has been less than stellar during this World Cup cycle. Firing iconic Hugo Sanchez from the head coaching ranks, failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympics and squeaking by the third round of qualifying all highlight Mexico's troubles. But still, 'El Tri' know that Azteca is their fortress and they elevate their game in front of their 105,000 fans, which is why we shouldn't expect this match to be held anywhere else.

Despite's Mexico's dominance at home in the series you can't help but think that this might be the year to leave Mexico with a victory. Since the turn of the millennium the United States has amassed an impressive 9-2-2 record against their southern neighbors. Although Mexican fans claim that the majority of those games were in the U.S. they fail to take into account that most of those games were in front of pro-Mexican crowds.

The United States has beaten Mexico in places ranging from Chicago to Los Angeles and even in Jeonju, South Korea. 2009 may be the year they add Mexico City to the list of locations where they've defeated their arch-rivals.

1. vs. Mexico, 2/11, FIFA World Cup Qualifier

The game is less than three weeks away and the Mexican players are dropping like flies. For the first time ever, the U.S. should walk into this game as favorites.

Many American fans are salivating at the thought of playing a depleted Mexican side in the freezer that is Columbus Crew Stadium in early February, but being underdogs has always been a role that suited Bob Bradley's team and the role reversal could help give Mexico the mental advantage it has long been missing.

Regardless of the team's mentalities, this game is a statement game. Will Mexico's woes continue or will they kick-off 2009 with a positive result? As for the Americans, anything but a win will surely raise red flags among fans so expect this game to be the most important game of the United States' 2009 campaign.

What do you think of this list? Agree or disagree? What would your list look like? Which match are you most looking forward to? Think the Americans have a chance at coming out with a winning record in these five matches?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. @Posted by: Travis in Miami | January 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    It could but I wouldn’t count on Rossi being called in. His goal totals are inflated with PK’s. He really is just an average player in La Liga (which isn’t bad, but we’re talking about making one of the elite national teams here)

    Italy has at least 4 people ahead of him in the pecking order.

    Re: the list

    no complaints here. You could have subbed in some other matches and there still would be no complaints. It’s shaping up to be an explosive year. Can’t wait for the Confederations Cup.

    Reply
  2. We need to send a message in C-bus dont let mexican press jump on US squeaking out a win with all their palyers out…2 goal victory at a min

    Reply
  3. When was the last time the US won at Mexico? What is that I hear? NEVER! What a powerful word NEVER. Until the US beats Mexico in Mexico or Mexico beats the US in the US then there really is no argument on who is better at this point. A road game is a road game no matter who is in the stands. Mentality is a huge part and any sports event and playing at home or on the road for an international game is huge.

    Reply
  4. Mexico players dropping like flies. Columbus in the winter.

    Yep, that means Bradley will play ultra-conservative and will get lucky to escape with a 1-0 win.

    Reply
  5. Italy and Brazil are tied for my top spot, even though I’m going to Columbus… I have revenge on the mind for Italy (I hope Onyewu gives Rossi a nice elbow to the face)… if Mexico really is a better team than the United States, (which they’re not) they should win games on US soil with pro-Mexico crowds… the fact that they are away games is no excuse… i expect nothing less than a win and a draw against Brazil and Italy if we play to our potential… I predict a late winner by Altidore in Columbus and a late winner by Donovan at the Azteca… the next 2 years are gonna be great

    Posted by: Wayne Mark Rooney | January 23, 2009 at 01:42 PM

    ————————-

    Chicken hiding behind come’s name.

    Go see a Shrink , stupid loser

    Reply
  6. (I hope Onyewu gives Rossi a nice elbow to the face)…

    ———————–

    SAD SAD SAD …..U Are a LOSER and Pathetic person.

    Too BAd the Owner of this site doesn’t delete this CRAP !

    S

    Reply
  7. Steve:

    You can pound your chest all you want, nobody was arguing the US’ winning record AT HOME but saying that it’s impressive because the US won those HOME GAMES even with a majority pro-Mexico crowd is homerism at its best.

    The fact of the matter is, it’s still an away game for Mexico and if the pro-Mexico crowd was such a factor, then the US would’ve already won down in Mexico or Costa Rica or Jamaica or anywhere outside of the comfort of the US.

    It must be nice padding your record with a bunch of games played at home.

    Get down from that cloud or at least improve your reading comprehension level.

    Reply
  8. Guys, the list wasn’t for “most important matches” it was for top matches to watch. No kidding the qualifiers are more important than the Confederations Cup, but if you’re honestly telling me that you’re looking more forward to the El Salvador and T&T qualifiers than the Italy Confederations Cup match I’ll tell you that you are smoking something very strong.

    Reply
  9. Chris, what the hell are you talking about? So you’re saying the reason Mexico has lost to the United States in the USA over and over and over again is because the poor guys have to travel from far away and stay in some strange hotel (always a four-star hotel) and be away from home? Here’s a clue buddy, BOTH teams do that. Both teams have to travel and both teams will be staying in the same kind of hotels. In the case of Columbus things will be a bit different because of the cold but Chris, are you serious right now? The games in Houston and Chicago had WAY MORE Mexico fans than USA fans and YOU STILL LOST. Deal with it.

    Reply
  10. Just my personal opinion, but I think all of the WC qualifying matches rate higher in importance than the Confederations Cup matches or Gold Cup matches. Yes, the Confed. Cup matches will be a measuring stick to show us where we are as a team in competing with the top teams in the world, but we have to make it to the World Cup before we can worry about playing the best teams and winning trophies. I am still stoked to watch the Confed. Cup though. And this years Gold Cup is pointless, nothing but bragging rights on the line. I don’t see why they don’t have it played every 4 years like the Euros, 2 years between each WC. All in all it is definatley going to be an exciting and busy year.

    @ Josh in SLC—->I agree with you 150%, Bob Bradley needs to play Donovan up top with a bigger striker (Ching, Cooper, Altidore) and have Dempsey play at the wing where he has excelled. That way 2 of our best players are playing at positions they are more comfortable in.

    I would love to see this type of 4-4-2

    —–Ching/Cooper/Altidore——Donovan

    ———————Adu————————–

    DmB?——————————-Dempsey

    ——————M. Bradley———————-

    Pearce?—Boca—Gooch—Cherundolo?

    —————–Howard—————————

    Reply
  11. Any Game against our biggest rival is the most important game of the year. We may get the results we’d want against Brazil, Italy and Egypt but if we lose to Mexico even once then the year is a failure.

    Reply
  12. I realize everyone will have a different idea about what makes a “top match”.

    Will I be rooting for the USA vs. Italy, Brazil and Egypt. Darn tootin’ I will be. But will I be glued to the TV, sweating bullets, rueing every missed opportunity, jumping up and down screaming for every goal?

    Not for the Confederations Cup. How we match up to some of the world this year doesn’t matter if we don’t qualify for the World Cup this year.

    Reply
  13. Travis:

    What you said makes no sense.

    Gianfranco was saying that the US has played Mexico at home (in the US) and won even when the crowd was pro-Mexico. I’m just saying that he’s putting to much weight on that rationale. Houston, Columbus, NY…it’s still the US and obviously a home game for the US, crowd aside.

    If the crowd was such an important factor then the US would’ve already won at Azteca with 110 thousand Mexican fans in the stands.

    It doesn’t make any sense, traveling to a foreign country to play WCQs is the main issue, it’s mostly what affects players, not whether or not they have a majority crowd behind them.

    Reply
  14. I don’t see how the Confed Cup matches are more important than the non-Mex WCQ matches. The Confed Cup is completely meaningless if we don’t qualify!

    1. vs. Mex

    2. at Mex

    3. at CR

    4. at Honduras

    5. vs. CR

    6. vs. Honduras

    7. vs. Egypt

    8. vs. Italy

    9. vs. Brasil

    Mexico obviously is the most important, but even if we don’t do that well against Mex, we stil get through if we do well against CR and Honduras (I am assuming we take care of ElS and TNT). Egypt is more important at the Confed Cup than the heavyweights – We need to be able to beat the likes of Egypt if we want to get through the first round of the WC – our loss to Ghana cost us last time much more than the draw with Italy. The matches against Brasil and Italy will be fun, but Egypt is the key.

    Reply
  15. Great List!

    I think the Egypt game is far more important than “El Tri” in “C-Bus”.

    No Qualms with Road game at Sapprissa or Azteca.

    Please give us the Retrospect of 08, Preview of 09, etc. Would be a really good read. (I’ve gotta a torn meniscus and ACL, need tons of reading materials and PRAYERS!)

    Reply
  16. I’m excited for a qualifier in Salt Lake at some point.

    My main point is: Am I the only one who thinks that switching Dempsey and Donovan would make a huge difference in the attack? With Dempsey at his usual right wing position, controling the midfeild, and donovan playing off the other bigger hold up forward. I think would make our attack much better. It seems Donovan has been scoring more goals as a striker with Bayern and Dempsey scores more goals out wide with Fulham. Maybe its just me……

    Reply
  17. Italy and Brazil are tied for my top spot, even though I’m going to Columbus… I have revenge on the mind for Italy (I hope Onyewu gives Rossi a nice elbow to the face)… if Mexico really is a better team than the United States, (which they’re not) they should win games on US soil with pro-Mexico crowds… the fact that they are away games is no excuse… i expect nothing less than a win and a draw against Brazil and Italy if we play to our potential… I predict a late winner by Altidore in Columbus and a late winner by Donovan at the Azteca… the next 2 years are gonna be great

    Reply
  18. So Chris and Frank – do you think the entire Mexican National team lives and practices in the vicinity of Azteca? I didn’t realize that.

    Your argument makes the US’ wins even more impressive considering very few of our national team is from Phoenix and Houston. I guess by your rationale those would be away games for them too since they are staying in hotels and playing on unfamiliar fields.

    Reply
  19. Chris, thank for pointing out the obvious. I am tired of this Pro-Mexico crowd crap. It is still an away game for them. Also I think the US will have a comfortable result on 2/11 but the return leg will be the opposite story because Mexico will have all their players back and Gio and Nery will be in better shape. I can already see Gio, Nery, Vela, and Guardado run circles around Michael Bradley and the US defence.

    Reply
  20. I just thought of this:

    That Italy game could feature Toni/Rossi vs. LD/Jozy. Bayern teammates against each other and Villareal teammates at odds.

    Reply
  21. The Confederations Cup matches, including the match against Egpyt, are ulitmately more important and will be more telling that what the U.S. does against Mexico this year. Playing Brazil and Italy in real competition is a rare, real yardstick for the U.S.’s development, and that’s before you get to any of the particulars, such as past history or number of world class players on the pitch. Egypt is arguably even more significant, because the U.S. needs to beat merely very good international competition before it can be expected to get results against World Cup winning regulars. Yes, Mexico is always entertaining, and obtaining a result in Mexico would be a thrill. But it won’t show much meaningful growth if we go three and out in the Confederations Cup. Regardless, this year will unquestionably be an exciting year for the USMNT.

    Reply
  22. Well Gianfranco, last time I called you out on your “reporting” I got an ear pull from Ives so this time I’ll try to be less “hostile.”

    Your argument about playing Mexico in pro-Mexico crowds and beating them holds no water because the Mexican players know they’re not playing in Mexico, no matter how many fans show up to support them here in the states. They still have to travel here, stay in a hotel, and practice in fields they’re not accustomed to. Sure, the crowd helps (or hurts, however you want to look at it) but it certainly doesn’t mean as much as you want it to.

    If that were the case, the US would’ve already won in Mexico.

    Keep up the good work, Gianfranco.

    Reply
  23. We need to schedule a friendly against Serbia so that we can crush Subotic and Co. A win against Italy, Serbia and Mexico would make the perfect year.

    Reply
  24. CSD – We beat them in the championship of our region. That doesn’t get us into the World Cup. It’s possible to lose to Mexico twice and still qualify but it makes it that much harder. Also, if we do in fact beat them (again) in Columbus and manage a result in Azteca, then maybe – just maybe – we can get seeded at the WC, resulting in a better draw for us.

    Man, I can’t wait for the Mexico games and that Italy game. I really can’t stand Italy. This Sweden game is such a tease.

    Reply
  25. Lol Gianfranco, I completely disagree on this list!

    Top 5:

    #1 USA vs. Italy

    #2 vs. Brazil

    #3 vs. Egypt

    #4 vs. Mexico

    #5 vs. Mexico

    Egypt is a much better team than Costa Rica and the matches against top opponents will be more interesting and intense than qualifiers, even against a rival.

    Reply
  26. Italy is an important match and I am looking forward to it. However I think Italy will be more up for a game against the US than usual. Not only was that 06 WC game contentious and the US gave as good as they got (except for flopping and drama) but those were the only points Italy lost in their run to the championship. Think they might be out for revenge? I don’t think they want an upstart like the US thinking they can beat Italy. I think our guys will be confident and out to show they have arrived. I can’t wait.

    As for your mentioning Rossi, I know you see him as a hot button that builds comments on the site, but come on, enough already! Any US fan that needs Rossi as motivation to get up for the game is not a fan at all. The chance to beat Italy is enough, I don’t care if he plays or not, getting a result is the goal.

    Reply
  27. Since we already beat Mexico to get to the Confederations Cup. I am not sure why beating them again in the US would be considered the most important game of the year?

    Reply
  28. es,

    I tend to disagree with your assumption that Mexico qualifiers are more important than any of the Confederation Cup games. I would rate those games 1,2,3 (Egypt as 3rd) on the list with the Mexico games as 4 and 5.

    Qualifying for South Africa 10′ is not a major accomplishment for the USMNT anymore. Competing with and defeating World Class opposition in important tournaments is what the USMNT needs to start doing.

    Posted by: CSD | January 23, 2009 at 10:59 AM

    ————

    Ahhhhhh. But not qualifying would be disaster. One of these years one of the Big 2 will not make a World Cup so the qualifiers are all far more important than the glorified friendlies in South Africa.

    Reply
  29. I’m more looking forward to the game at Azteca than the one in Columbus. Even if we don’t get a home result this time, success is now the norm. A result at Mexico would be a breakthrough.

    Reply
  30. agree with “share your thoughts below”, we are all big fans of your site, and I check it at least once a day.

    The list is good, but any intelligent US fan will stay as far away from the azteca as possible. I will find myself in front of my tv watching it in glorious HD (hopefully HD, fingers crossed). Also is this just the senior men’s team? Because the U-20 world cup is this year.

    Reply
  31. any word on where the gold cup will be played this year? I heard canada awhile back but nothing was ever concrete.

    P.S. share your thoughts below is worn out already, piss tom off and keep asking us what we think.

    Reply
  32. Ives,

    I tend to disagree with your assumption that Mexico qualifiers are more important than any of the Confederation Cup games. I would rate those games 1,2,3 (Egypt as 3rd) on the list with the Mexico games as 4 and 5.

    Qualifying for South Africa 10′ is not a major accomplishment for the USMNT anymore. Competing with and defeating World Class opposition in important tournaments is what the USMNT needs to start doing.

    Reply
  33. Can you ask for a better year than this one that includes the last round of world cup qualifying and Brazil and Italy in South Africa. To top all of that off we get to look forward to seeing a Clint Dempsey who is playing well for Fulham, Landon who is on a torrid pace in his stint with Bayern Munich and lastly the great American hope known as Jozy.

    Reply
  34. Ives,

    Any word on venues for the home games this year?

    Also, any word on a March friendly this year (like Ecuador in ’06 or Poland in ’07)?

    Reply
  35. I can’t complain with the list. I agree that the Mexico game here is probably more important than the game at Mexico because it can set the tone for the rest of the year and getting off to a good start in WCQ will allow us to run out more players later in the year when the schedule gets congested with Confed Cup, MLS, Gold Cup, and U20 WC.

    Reply

Leave a Comment