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USA vs. Mexico: Match night Commentary

by

USA Crest    MexicoLogo

Good evening  everybody. We are about two hours away from kickoff of the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

I'm coming to you from the North End of Crew Stadium, perched above the section that will be home to Sam's Army. Tonight marks the first match of the Hexagonal Round of World Cup qualifying and one of the most highly-anticipated matches of this series.

While it is just the first of 10 qualifying games for each team, the game carries special meaning for Mexico, which comes in off a three-match winless streak in the last round of World Cup qualifying and an exhibiiton loss to Sweden.

The U.S. national team comes into the match looking to extend its unbeaten streak at home against Mexico (8-0-2) and register three points in its first home qualifier.

I will be providing running commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match (commentary and projected lineups after the jump):

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FINAL- That's it for me for now. Thank you all for following along tonight and for continuing to support SBI. Good night and enjoy the victory USA fans. As always, share your post-game thoughts below.

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FINAL– USA 2, Mexico 0. That score never gets old. At least not to American fans. Michael Bradley with the game of his young life.

What a gesture, the U.s. players just ran over to the U.S. section and are throwing their jerseys into the crowd. This place is going nuts.

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90th minute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MICHAEL BRADLEY WITH A BLAST!!!!

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90th minute– Leandro has committed about 20 fouls today and stil no yellow card.

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89th minute– Michael Bradley is EVERYWHERE.

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88th minute– Pearce is fading in this game, making some mistakes.

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86th minute– Ricardo Clark in for Sacha Kljestan.

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85th minute– USA knocking it around to ole's. Nice for a while, until Pearce lost the plot.

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82nd minute– Jozy Altidore is coming in, probably for Ching.

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81st minute– USA corner kick.

Anybody notice no Hejduk crosses tonight? Probably why he's had such a good game.

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80th minute– Howard smothers a Salcido cross. Howard has been virtually flawless tonight.

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79th minute– Mexico with a corner kick.

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78th minute– Tonight's attendance is 23,776. Not bad considering the monsoon.

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77th minute– Mexico frustration fouls will now get you a drink.

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74th minute– Another Mexico long ball. Okay, so maybe we should change that one before somebody gets sick from drinking too much.

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73rd minute– Hejduk is trying to shake off the injury and is still playing. Tough guy.

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72nd minute– Omar Bravo on for Gio Dos Santos.

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71st minute– Hejduk is hurt.

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70th minute– Hejduk pulls off the trademark two-footed tackle. What will Mexico do now?

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67th minute– Mexico comes oh so close. Nearly finds the equalizer, then goes down a man. Dos Santos missed a beauty of a chance. apparently he's so used to sitting at Tottenham that he didn't feel the need to get up.

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66th minute– RED CARD. Rafa Marquez is sent off after a crazy sequence. Dos Santos missed at the doorstep and then Marquez goes up for a rough challenge on Howard. He is out, Mexico is down to ten men.

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64th minute– The match has hit a bit of a lull. The Americans can't get complacent.

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61st minute– Mexico long-ball. DRINK.

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59th minute– Mexico with the first semblance of a nice passing sequence and they're ruled offside.

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60th minute– Antonio "Zinha" Naelson on for Medina. Zinha is a bit dangerous.

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57th minute– Mexico hasn't really shown much this half. You wonder where their goal will come from, especially without Castillo.

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54th minute– Michael Bradle is EVERYWHERE. A real coming-out party for the young midfielder.

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52nd minute– Looks like Donovan took a knock from Marquez off the ball. He's okay now. You can bet there was intent there.

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51st minute– New drinking game. Drink every time Mexico sends a long ball to a lone forward.

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49th minute– Ching draws a corner kick.

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48th minute– Nice pass from Bradley to spring Beasley but he can't beat Sanchez to it.

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47th minute– Mexico with a free kick from distance.

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46th minute– This game is far from over.

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HALFTIME– What will Mexico do at halftime? Good question. Sven isn't known as the best halftime motivator, so don't be surprised of the Mexicans come out flat. The first five minutes will tell a lot.

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HALFTIME– Any changes for the Americans? I wouldn't change a thing. The group played well together and moved the ball beautifully. You could potentially see a Torres or Altidore, but as long as its a one-goal game you really should keep this group together.

Here are three questions I have:

  • Are the "Michael Bradley only plays because Bob is his father" people finally going to shut up?

  • Will the "Frank Hejduk is awful" people finally relax? He's not Dani Alves but he can step up and play well when needed.

  • Will Oswaldo Sanchez pull out a foreign object out of his shorts and try to assault a U.S. player if the Americans score a second goal?

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HALFTIME– My observations: These teams have reversed roles. The USA is the team playing good possession soccer, knocking it around well, creating chances and really trying to keep the ball. Mexico is the team trying to boot balls forward,looking for the quick counter, and the one-on-one on the break. Mexico is not playing like the Mexico of old and at this rate I think it's safe to say there are 45 minutes left in Sven's Mexico career unless things change dramatically.

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HALFTIME– "Hello Roman? This is Sven. Is your job still open? What?!? Guus Hiddink? Well, I can still go to Portsmouth. Click."

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HALFTIME– Mexico definitely looks flat right now. That goal was a stunner for them. Bradley capped a great first half with a great goal. Solid team performance all the way around.

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45th minute– Beasley's corner finds Donovan, who heads to Onyewu. Onyewu's header is saved and Bradley pounces on the rebound.

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43rd minute- GOAL USA!!!!!!!!!!! And it's Michael Bradley with the VOLLEY!!

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42nd minute– USA corner kick

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41st minute– Heath Pearce was down, but is up again.

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40th minute– Mexico with a free kick on a Bocanegra foul. Not sure about that call.

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37th minute– Bradley tries a shot from distance and did NOT miss by much.

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37th minute– Tim Howard with another save, making that one look pretty easy.

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35th minute– Israel Martinez is in for Castillo.

Let me say, it's VERY interesting to see Carlos Batres reffing this game. Mexico HATES Batres.

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34th minute– I'll take this opportunity to start some drinking games. Let's start with these:

  • Frankie Hejduk stepovers

  • Clint Dempsey stepovers

  • Oswaldo Sanchez goal  kicks that go out of bounds.

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33rd minute– Nery Castillo is hurt after pulling up lame on the run.

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32nd minute– SANCHEZ SAVE. He stops a close-range blast from Dempsey off a nice pass from Donovan.

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29th minute– Leandro takes down Donovan and is lucky to avoid the yellow card.

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28th minute– Someone just told me that the SBI Banner got some airtime. It's behind the Mexico net for those of you wondering.  Let me know if you see it.

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27th minute– Sanchez botches a goal kick. Apparently the Sam's Army greeting after each kick is getting to him.

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23rd minute– USA is passing the ball really well.

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22nd minute– Donovan JUST misses with his free kick. Wide by inches. WOW.

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21st minute– CHing gets taken down by Galindo. Dangerous free kick for USA.

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20th minute– Castillo gets a head on a Howard kick, but it goes out. USA in control right now, but neither team looks close to scoring right now.

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17th minute– Dempsey and Beasley are back on their normal sides.

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17th minute– Beasley races onto a Kljestan pass, toward goal, but his shot is wide and high.

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16th minute– You know who hasnlt looked bad early on? Frankie Hejduk.

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14th minute– Mexico struggling to string passes together here. Interesting to see Dempsey and Beasley switch sized. Now Beasley is on the right and Dempsey on the left.

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13th minute– Beasley put it in the mixer but Onyewu and Ching couldn't get a shot off.

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12th minute– USA with its first corner kick.

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11th minute– Michael Bradley has been involved early and looks sharp. It's also interesting to see Beasley spending so much time cutting inside.

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8th minute– Donovan nearly made Mexico pay with a long ball tht almst sprung him.

Onyewu is getting whistled for everything early on.

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6th minute– Pardo sends a free kick over. USA needs to relax a bit and get some control of possession.

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4th minute- Sloppiness from the U.S. defense early on. The conditions aren't helping them, but Mexico is definitely trying to press.

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3rd minute– Tim Howard with the clutch save.

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1st minute– And we're off.

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PRE-GAME– Okay folks. I know most of you will be watching the match on TV, but for those of you will keep following the commentary, please let me know you're following along in the comments section.

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PRE-GAME– I'm putting the crowd at 80 percent to 85 percent USA. It's tough to say with so many people wearing colors other than red or green, but based on the sound of things, you can't even hear the Mexico fans. 

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PRE-GAME– It's time for the anthems. This game is going to be played (or at least started).

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PRE-GAME– The teams are set to take the field and the stadium has filled up nicely. The memo to wear read didn't make it to many, or maybe most folks just didn't have red rain coats/jackets.

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PRE-GAME– The lineups are out and they are the same ones I gave you at the start of this post:

USA

——————–Ching——————–

Beasley———-Donovan——–Dempsey

————Bradley——Kljestan———–

Pearce—-Bocanegra—Onyewu—Hejduk

——————-Howard——————–

BENCH– Guzan, Bornstein, Wynne, Califf, Clark, Torres, Altidore.

MEXICO

———————Ochoa———————

Medina ———–Castillo———Dos Santos

—————Pardo—–Leandro————

Salcido—–Galindo—Marquez——Osorio

——————Sanchez———————

BENCH– Ochoa, Leobardo Lopez, Luis Perez, Israel Martinez, Antonio Naelson, Omar Bravo, Guillermo Franco.

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PRE-GAME– about half the seats are empty right now because a lot of fans are standing on the concourse, waiting for the weather to get better. Not Sam's Army. They're in their section singing away and it's a pretty impressive sea of red.

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PRE-GAME– The crazy weather is back and I really wonder if this game is going to make it. You can see Mexico fans and USA fans standing around watching the crazy winds and driving rain wondering if the stadium will get blown away. Okay, so maybe that won't happen, but it's crazy right now. I feel like I'm in the movie Twister.

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PRE-GAME– In case you missed it, Chicago, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. were awarded the final three home USA matches of the Hexagonal Round. And yes SBI Mafia members, those three cities should sound familiar. Get your travel plans ready for USA vs. Honduras in Chicago, USA vs. El Salvador at Rio Tinto Stadium and USA-Costa Rica at RFK Stadium.

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PRE-GAME– Here's my question. If Jose Francisco Torres comes off the bench and scores the game-winning goal will Pachuca keep him or will Mexican fans force him out of the league? I'm only half kidding.

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PRE-GAME– The U.S. national team just took the field for warm-ups and a loud chorus of "U-S-A" greeted them. The crowd is pumped and has started a "We Love you, We Love You, We Love You" chant.

Mexico takes the field and here come the BOOS.

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PRE-GAME– The sky just went VERY dark and I think it's safe to say the second round of storms is on the way. U.S. fans don't care, they're chanting "Oh When the Yanks Go Marching In."

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PRE-GAME– Mexico's goalkeepers are on the field and Oswaldo Sanchez is jogging around the field. He looks like the classic heel in wrestling.

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PRE-GAME– Tim Howard and Brad Guzan take the field to a chorus of applause from the U.S. fans. 

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PRE-GAME– The field is holding up well and the puddles are gone (for now). That could change when the second band of bad weather comes through.

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PRE-GAME– Some Mexico fans break out a pretty snazzy Mexico flag. Good-sized but about a fifth of the size of the U.S. flag Sam's Army has waiting to unveil.

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PRE-GAME– Sam's Army is breaking out the "Dos a Cero" chant. There's really no comeback for that one from Mexico fans.

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PRE-GAME– I have a feeling some folks in Seattle and Salt Lake City are saying "We told you that you should have played USA-Mexico at our place." I couldn't really argue with either, but then again, there are a lot of fans already here who don't are about the weather. They're having fun and doing a good job making themselves heard.

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PRE-GAME– The folks from USSoccer.com just lost power in case you're wondering what's going on with them.

Sam's Army is here and they are LOUD. The overhang of the stage at Crew Stadium will help amplify an already loud group.

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PRE-GAME– The fans are starting to make their way inside, have been for about 30 minutes. A sprinkling of green so far.

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PRE-GAME– The weather has let up a bit, at least the heavy rain has. Winds are still on and off. The press tent I'm residing in for the match may or may not collapse on top of us.

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PRE-GAME– I've just been told by a reliable source the starting lineup I listed earlier for the United States will be the lineup tonight. No surprises.

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PRE-GAME– And there comes the thunder. Listen folks, I love coming to Columbus, have been here more than a dozen times, but right now I'm kind of wishing this game had been played somewhere else. Here's hoping to better weather soon.

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PRE-GAME– There was talk about Crew Stadium having a fast field. Not tonight my friends. We are in for a slow and ugly game with the ball unlikely to roll very far on a water-logged pitch.

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PRE-GAME– The weather conditions are extremely bad here. We just had some showers and extremely powerful winds blast through here. Visible puddles are starting to form on the field and the grounds crew is trying to get the water off the field as we speak. One word to describe the weather? Miserable.

———–

PRE-GAME– No official word on lineups yet but I've heard that it is a safe bet that we will see this starting XI for the U.S. national team:

——————–Ching——————–

Beasley———-Donovan——–Dempsey

————Bradley——Kljestan———–

Pearce—-Bocanegra—Onyewu—Hejduk

——————-Howard——————–

No word on the Mexico lineup yet, but this is what I am hearing we will see from 'El Tri':

———————Ochoa———————

Medina ———–Castillo———Dos Santos

—————Pardo—–Leandro————

Salcido—–Galindo—Marquez——Osorio

——————Sanchez———————

No, that's not Guillermo Ochoa at forward, but Carlos Ochoa, the 30-year-old former resident of Los Angeles.

The match-ups to watch in this one are Medina-Hejduk, Pardo-Leandro vs. Donovan and the key one for Mexico, Castillo vs. Onyewu-Bocanegra.

Comments

  1. brett:

    You’re right to not label me a hater because I’m FAR from a Bradley hater. I’m one of his biggest fans actually, I just call it like I see it and think that during that whole sequence the guy most responsible for the eventual goal was Gooch. That was a top drawer header he blasted into Dirty Sanchez. Any lesser quality from that and Bradley is just standing in the 6 watching the ball be collected or either fly off out of bounds.

    Glad we agree on the second goal. Good strike + Bad keeping = Goal… We see it all the time at all levels.

    Reply

  2. Brett- lol about your comments on Bradley’s goals… not that you werent accurate, but i told everyone i was with that Bradley haters would use these excuses to not give him credit (not labeling you as a hater, simply saying these excuses are what i expected)

    1) 1st goal the haters would have given credit to gooch and then claimed it was an ugly cleanup goal which was typical of Bradley…

    yes, MB gets ALOT of his goals from cleanups, but a goal is a goal… being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference in the world when it comes to the out come of the game

    2) 2nd goal would have been labeled poor goalkeeping…

    yes dirty sanchez really screwed that up, but MB did well to put a hard shot LOW and ON GOAL…. most goals require some bit of luck….

    —

    MB had an EXCELLENT game…. hejduk did great….beasley did well… the rest had on and off game….

    mexico’s asst. coach is the typical mexican sore loser… dirty to the core…

    Reply

  3. “Also, the statue of liberty is actually in New Jersey Mex, so good luck pissing on it from a different state…

    Posted by: Matty C

    C’mon now Matty, Luis is a tool, but get your facts straight. The SoL is in NY. The SoL Nat’l Monument is part of NY state even though the water surrounding it on all sides in on the NJ side of the border. Bet you google it.

    Reply

  4. does anyone know the words to the “Dos a Cero chant”?

    when Dirty S. kicked off, what was the chant? was it “you suck a**hole”?

    Reply

  5. U! S! A!

    congrats everyone, we did it. thanks Ives for a great site and your commentary. also congrats on the banner getting airtime!

    i feel the weather really played a huge factor with the players. Ching, Sascha seemed out of it. totally not in their game. Dempsey took too many dives; of which only one, i think was called in favor of USA. he did have a couple of good shots, though. Hejduk is a warrior! huge asset to USA, as well as M. Bradley. his second goal was epic against Dirty S. overall a very good game in my opinion and very impressive that BB only used 2 subs, and we still got the win. with proper prep time, and having all the US players a good 2 weeks or so ahead of time practicing together, i feel that we can obtain a good win vs Mex in August.

    i love our great country and our great team. go USA!

    Reply

  6. Some info from Freedman’s article on SI:
    But that was nothing compared to the scuffle in the tunnel after the game. Hejduk and Mexico assistant Paco Ramírez got into a shouting match as the teams left the field, prompting Mexican striker Guillermo Franco to push into the scrum. That started a near riot between the teams near the entrance to the U.S. locker room. The incident ended when a half-dozen giant security guards had to step in to separate them.

    Reply

  7. Also, I have to say, I love watching the highlight of the second goal because I can’t get enough of watching Sanchez boot the ball into the second deck. Just fun.

    Reply

  8. Luis has been simply irrational since day one, this is no surprise. Actually, it’s fair to say his reaction to this game is stereotypical of many Mexicans and Mexican fans.

    I’m enjoying it.

    Reply

  9. a couples of notes from someone at the game. That was the coldest 52 degrees I have ever seen. THe guy that fouled Jozy was given a yellow card before the kick off. the referee just let the advantage play. Sascha was pretty bad tonight and My problem with coach Bradley was his delay in subing and not getting frankie off after his injury.

    Reply

  10. LuisMex:

    It’s not important how well one team played in comparison to another. I could give two shits if Mexico played better than the USA. In the end, it comes down to results, not who played the better football. Points aren’t awarded for style, they’re awarded for wins and draws. And last time I checked, Mexico didn’t do either.

    Excuses are just that, excuses. No ifs, buts, ors, maybes, or any of that. We won, you lost. End of story.

    It doesn’t matter who the better team was, it mattered who got the 3 points. And that certainly wasn’t Mexico.

    Reply

  11. Luis, tengo respeto para las destrezas de los jugadores mexicanos, pero ellos (y las hinchas) tienen que aprender a cómo perder con dignidad

    Reply

  13. Can’t argue Bradley’s game & goes far beyond goals. Was never one of the haters. But admit to being skeptical at times over him being automatic. Just want him to earn it, which I think is fair.

    Just curious anyone else catch his game against Munich this year when he scored dramatic late goal? Interestingly if I remember conditions similar (not as bad but wet & sloppy). Could it be coincidence or maybe slower tougher slopfest right up his alley? We know he’s not fleetest of foot & maybe I’m way off, but just food for thought. Just seems like sometimes lack of pace hurts him, which may be why in quicker games wouldn’t mind seeing Mo Edu given chance at holding mid time assuming he gets in form. I think 2 of them could even play together allowing MB to attack more. Plus Pablo Sacha Torres Freddy Rico & others in mix so hopefully we’ll find right answers.

    Anyway, great game. Amazing to read some of the comments though, makes you wonder if people are watching a different game.

    -Dempsey/LD tandem on verge of reaching another level. For first time seems like Lando has someone out there who can think/see/operate on similar dimension. DMB was close for awhile but something about current Deuce is different. This could be huge.

    -Pearce played admirably, but hopefully Spector can become the true answer.

    -Heydude was really good, hats off to the guy. But good to get Dolo back & can’t wait to groom Wynne as backup.

    -Timmy’s not just quality he’s world class.

    -DMB is DMB of PSV days minus 10-15%. Which is still really good & our best option so let’s relax & accept/appreciate for what it is.

    -Ching gets raw deal, he’s solid. But if Jozy can play well score goals lift Xerez to top flight he’ll shed the “future” label & claim spot as his own. It’s in his eyes & the eyes don’t lie.

    -Foreign success has helped our players enormously. Sure we still have the hard working physical athletic makeup but now true quality & added confidence so long missing are really beginning to show. Club success for LD Deuce Freddy Jozy MB Spector Edu & co over next year is vital for serious push in 2010.

    And thanks Ives for all the great work!!

    Reply

  14. Luis Mex- Mira eso de andarse burlando es parte del futbol para que joder con eso. Mexico lo ha echo y siempre lo hara, a ti te molesta mas por que ahora no pueden ganar. Ustedes siempre juegan al futbol con babosadas, mira lo que hizo Sanchez a Eddie Johnson la ultima vez que se enfrento Mexico y EEUU. Quien le dio una palmada a Sanchez? Aprende a perder con clase, por que crees que gente los tratan de esta manera cuando les ganan?
    Y si, nos veremos en el Azteca…

    Reply

  15. Thoughts on the game:

    The weather was terrible and made the game worse. I think both teams could have played better were the conditions more favorable. Outcome would probably have been the same though.

    Man of the match was Tim Howard. We like for those to go to goal-scorers but Timmy came up HUGE and his saves early, especially that first one, kept the game in our control and we never had to chase the game because of him.

    Bradley had a great game, but most of the credit for the first goal should go to Gooch. His header off of Lando’s pass back was perfect and explosive. Mikey was in the right place and got a goal typical of him.

    The second was a good strike, but that is a ball most goalkeepers at this level will save easily. Bradley did do well to fire it in with pace and keep it on target.

    The goat of the game was Giovanni Dos Choke-tos. I counted three fantastic chances he let go for nothing.

    Landon had an ‘okay’ game which is bad for him considering how well he usually does against Mexico.

    Dempsey was in the same boat. I still think he plays out of position for the MNT though.

    Fullback still is our most glaring weakness. Pearce moved well and got into good spots but did nothing with it. Every time a ball got swung out to him he just killed the play back inside and we eventually gave it up. If we move Beas to LB we have a near copy of Phillip Lahm.

    Hejduk was a little better than Pearce, but he still cant cut in for a good shot and still cant deliver a decent cross. I missed Dolo tonight.

    Kljestan had a bad game, but not a terrible one. I still like him better than Clark. He just plays a smarter game in my opinion. Torres should get his spot for the games in Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador. I think it is VITAL that Torres plays when we travel to Azteca.

    And finally, why does Bradley leave substitutions on the board? What reason was there to play a clearly spent Brian Ching any longer? Why watch Hejduk limp around at the tail end of a pretty ineffective night? It’s normally tough to argue with the coach after he just beat your biggest rival 2-0, but someone has to get into his ear and tell him to be more proactive.

    Reply

  16. ojala sepan hablar español porq la verdad ya me canse de escribirles en ingles , que huevaaa !! primer punto: ok ganaron, pero no se vale burlarse como lo hizo Hejduk ese tipo es un pendejo de primera , que bueno q nos ganaron para asi poder quitar a Sven y poder tener un tecnico mucho mejor q esa mierda de pendejo … segundo punto: nos veremos cuando vengan a jugar en el Azteca putos!! aqui si van a valer madre

    Reply

  17. Whoa! Who is paco ramirez? Also, the statue of liberty is actually in New Jersey Mex, so good luck pissing on it from a different state…

    Reply

  19. i have to admit i was a m.bradley hater but now i will cease the hating “sort of”. i still think m.bradley should be subbed out of some games if he isnt performing well. i will continue woth the ching “hate” though. he must go we have a permanent replacement for ching and his name is JOZY ALTIDORE! if this performance doesnt prove ching must go i dont know what will. he plays striker but never STRIKES the ball. i also think we should try Torres in place of Sascha the next game. by the way when is the next game?

    Reply

  20. did anyone else notice leading up to bradleys second goal that salcido not only fouled jozy from behind but tackles donavon after he gets rid of the ball. i think that deserves some type of fine for trying to injure players

    Reply

  21. The conditions in Columbus made the game slow and boring. It was too cold, windy and wet. Let’s have it somehwere else next time Sunil.

    Reply

  23. sucram89, I have no idea. Probably some Mexican Federation guy

    Luis Mex, you are delusional and pathetic. If Mexico had played better than the US and won I would have owned up to it. What’s your excuse?
    Laughable that you didn’t care about this game, you were running your mouth more than Hejduk ran this game
    And if you piss on the Statue of Liberty, I’ll make you a eunuch. Vacation if your own country if it’s so fantastico

    Reply

  24. If this game isn’t enough proof to all the supporters of the “nepotism” theory that MB would be starting for us regardless of his dad, then I don’t know what else he needs to do. He’s still very young, shows improvement every year, and plays in a top league. Definitely his best game of his young USMNT career. Great opening result tonight!! GO USA!!!

    Reply

  25. hey Wispy you won without deserbe it …. you know it !! i really dont care about play against you, i´m only concern about qualify to world cup … P.D i really love to go to usa to spend my vacations … in fact next april I will in New York and I will pee over the liberty statue like a revenge … hahaha

    Reply

  31. Swede Dante how can you say Jozy looked sluggish? I thought he did alright for 8 min. I have a feeling B.Bradly told him to play defense so he wasnt attacking like he should have. I liked the result but i didnt like what i saw especially in the 2nd half. US was not attacking enough. I have to blame Ching Sascha and CHING for that. Also coach Bradley. He doesnt recognize when its time to sub a player. Our play reminded me of the US olympic team versus Holland. When went up and took our gas off the pedal.

    Reply

  32. Watched in a bar in Chicago with several Mexicans fans, the victory is so sweet. Can’t wait for the Honduras v USA game at Soldier Field.

    Everything I read that lead up to this match said the Mexican team per player was technically better than the US but the US team was a better sum than its parts.

    Ives – please put a position by position comparison between the USA and Mexico team. Let us evaluate the players. I thought the USA outplayed the Mexico team tonight and I think the USA players would compare favorably to the Mexicans.

    Fire Fan

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  33. this reminds me of that song love story, its alove story for mexico to lose to us 2-0, and it is kind of true because we were young when i first saw you. wehre is luis mex now huh, keep your mouth shut usa the best counrty in the world again, its a love story baby just say yes.

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  37. I’m going to give Papa Bradley the benefit of the doubt — I think he kept Ching and sacha in so long because mls will be in season for the El Salvador game and he’s not taking them to that one. Altidore starts up top the next game. Torres and Bradley start in CMF for the next game and Mastro or Edu (assuming he’s healthy) comes on in 2d half after we get a lead. And maybe I watched a different game than some of you, but Pearce was solid on the left. If I never see Bornstein play for the Nats again, I’d get over it quick. Beas was solid considering he hasn’t played much, and I, too, like the Dempsey/Beas switch from time to time. I guess Guzan gets a start next game and that’s a good thing — Timmy doesn’t need to prove himself anymore, that’s for sure. Little Bradley was flat-out awesome tonight, though I feel for him that he is very close to sporting the same hairdo as his Dad. Pedro Gomez is worthless — Albania is a country you dingbat. JP and Harkes both talk too much, but I can tolerate them, I suppose. And poor Mexico, man how far they have fallen.

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  39. Good game overall for MB who was the man of the match. Defense played well. Frankie is indelicate to say the least but got the job done. Coach almost tied is hands by cutting Rogers from the final squad because I thought the outside mids were medicore at best and were not dangerous. It would have been helpful to have him running into the defense in the second 45. What was Altidore’s problem tonight?-He looked ver sluggish. I thought that was a poor sub.

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  40. i used to not like the way bradley played for the u.s. (a lot of bad tackles) but he looked like a different player today. he was really good and i don’t remember any bad challenges. and the goals were great, of course. its probably because he’s ambitious and is playing in the bundesliga and is only 21. hopefully, landon gets the hint, stays there, and comes back next year even better.

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  42. Ives, I didn’t follow your match commentary during the match but had to read it after. There’s a lot of hilarious stuff in there. Well done!

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  43. I am a little miffed at the amount of time Bradley kept Kljestan in the game, he was absolutely Awful…

    Also, I like the lineup much better when the wings switch sides (i.e. beasley on the right and Dempsey on the left). It forces them to play the ball on the ground and attack the goal, rather than attacking the corner flags and looking for a low percentage cross.

    Heath Pearce needs to sit, he was not very good. Get Bornstein in there until Spector is fully back

    Bradley was very impressive, I have been a huge critic of his when he plays with the national team, but he’s really settled in and solitified one of the central spots. Hopefully Torres will get the opportunity and take the other spot.

    Donovan is nasty. he’s so smart in the midfield, always making quick decisions, and never wasting touches… Up front he’s really adjusted to fighting for balls he never used to get, and he’s obvious got a great finishing touch (which he wasn’t able to display tonight)… On set peices he’s really become world class, he used to get criticized for his corners and free kicks, but I haven’t seen a mishit from him in a very long time

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  44. Leandro Augusto may want to check the fine print of his naturalization papers. He may get his citizenship revoked if he keeps putting in performances like that. It was almost “Ned Grabavoy”-like.

    That was the worst performance by Mexico that I’ve ever seen. Their fans should be clamoring for Sven’s head, and the heads of all their players except maybe Pardo.

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