Photo by ISIphotos.com
Mexican national team coach Javier Aguirre will not be on the sidelines for today's Guadeloupe after being suspended for three matches for his run-in with Panama's Ricardo Phillips.
The suspension means Aguirre would return to the Mexico sideline no sooner than the Gold Cup final. If Mexico is eliminated in the Gold Cup quarterfinal then Aguirre would miss the Aug. 12 qualifier vs. The United States.
What do you think of the suspension? Too lenient or fair? Are you hoping to see Aguirre back for the final (potentially the USA)? Share your thoughts below.
Apparently I lost my other one.
Anyway, Mexico is justifiably disrespected internationally because their team hasn’t won anything important and doesn’t look likely to anytime soon.
The US always beats Mexico when it matters. Remember a guy named Josh Wolff?
Stop whining. Your welcome here, but sack it up. Your team is in a pathetic condition and even though soccer is maybe the 5th most popular sport here we still dominate the CONCACAF.
Damn, we moved from Aguirre the jackass to the invasion of Panama! What’s next, a reference to the US-Mexican War?
meromero:
Yes, he did offer an apology – never said he didn’t. I said that should be part of the package. Good for him for stepping up and doing it before he was publicly told to do it. I believe he is also being fined.
And yes, he needs to apologize to the city. I live in Houston. I love to attend soccer matches. But there are soccer haters in this city that will latch on to his antics to demonstrate that soccer has no place here. In that respect he has don damage to the city. An apology is the LEAST he can do.
And just to be clear, had Bradly Sr. done the same on the US side, I would have added my voice to the calls for his termination, not merely profuse apologies and a few match ban.
my only problem i that bradley got 4 games for an in game play, and he got 3 games for interfering with the game/going after an opponent or whatever you’d like ot describe it as
Does it really matter, he can still train the club leading up to the match and rest assured someone will have a cell phone to make any changes he might suggest from his villa, eventhough communication is probably outlawed as well.
@ Chris,
sorry, when you are referring to me and than all US fans in general right afterwards nobody really knows who you are refering to when you say “please stfu” at the end
Forgive my ignorance but what has Mexico achieved in this past decade? Sure you can put it in THAT perspective but what about the perspective that the US Made it to the quarterfinals of the world cup and won silver at the 2009 confed cup. What about that perspective?
@ meromero
okay few things to note to this idiot:
1)when did i tell anybody to do something? What part of “i wont tell you to shut up” dont you understand? If english is not your first language than ill let it slide but if not, than you are just dense. Why dont you try to think past your biasness? you are only attacking me because i am a US fan. My post was targeted at someone (who also is pro-mexican like you) who told me and all US fans WHAT TO DO by telling us to “STFU” yet you said nothing to this Chris guy. Biased prick.
2)Of course this is an open forum. When did i directly say it wasnt? When i said “If you think negatively of US fans than this is the wrong place to be” i was not implying that he is not allowed here. In fact, i implored him to post a reply. If you learned how to use something called reading comprehension you would also read the sentence before that quote and understand why i said that. To paraphrase for you on my earlier post(since it is obvious you cant do this yourself)i was saying that if you are easily offended by US fans, this is not the appropiate place to be. It was obvious he was offended by all these posters when he felt the need to attack all US fans and resort to swearing words.
When you are stating your principles, please be consistent regardless if someone is a US fan or a Mexican fan and another thing, please dont put words in my mouth.
The US certainly has good arguments to say they’re better than Mexico.
I deffinitely won’t deny it.
The problem is, much of the success the US has gained is built on the back of meaningless friendlies played at home.
This decade alone, out of all the international tournaments the US has played in, the only two times they’ve advanced out of the group stages has been with a negative record and goal differential, depending on other results.
There’s nothing wrong with that but it certainly puts things in perspective.
SupSam, I was merely talking to you, not the other posters on this site.
Really Champe? Mexico is disrespected internationally? Give me one example, just one! And no kidding Tom?, ‘Aguirre should apologize to the stadium and the city? “He already offered a “no excuses” apology to everyone but his mother!!! You’re demented!
Since when is the US known for being such a CLASS ACT? PLEASE!!!
All of a sudden the USMT beats Spain in a tournament, and US soccer fans have become philosophers, visionaries, holier than thou pests!
You’re all hot and bothered about what Aguirre did to one of the dirty Panama players, why don’t we talk about what the US govt. did to the the innocent civilians of Panama back in 1989?
I have only seen conciliatory “classy” comments from Mexican supporters overtime, only to be countered by the most mean-spirited low-life comments by most US supporters!
And supsam you cannot tell anybody what to do!!! Much less in a soccer website you neither own or operate!!! This is an open forum and anyone from anywhere can voice their opinions, as long as they are voiced with certain degree of decorum!
Enough is enough!!!
champe: I agree. A strong Mexico helps drive US Soccer – and vice versa, by the way. And I root for every CONFACAF when they play outside the conference. If our conference rises in esteem, so does our program. A collapsing Mexico does not help.
@ross – my impression is that FIFA (or its confederations) seems to ALWAYS punish any misbehavior against a referee more strictly than any action on the field (or sidelines?!). The MB and Aguirre suspensions are pretty predictable given past suspensions. I agree that MB got a overly severe penalty considering he hardly committed a foul – let alone a card. BUT he should have known what would come of losing it after the match. I think he is one of our best players and a future MNT captain – I hope he remembers this down the road.
how do they determine suspensions? Bradley gets 4 games but gets to sit out games where he’s not actually apart of the team… anyone saying Bradley’s 4 games was too harsh is an idiot and just read the headline of that story. Now I hope Mexico loses soon so Aguirre isnt available in Azteca
Unfortunately this classless and grossly un-sportsmen-like behavior has become the norm for almost all Mexican teams when they play a US team. LaLiga has shown that Mexican players will resort to thuggery when they feel like they are losing. Their Federation needs to do some serious reconsideration of the culture they are fostering with their players. Being macho and posturing is one thing. Cheep-shots are another.
I’m with those that believe the Mexican team will play better without their coach. They’ll probably remember how much fun they had when they first started playing the game as kids, relax and play loose, try some crazy shenanigans that true fans would never expect to work in a real game, then let the fat kid score the winning goal at the end.
Chris, the point is Mexico playing “away” in the US is not a legitimate excuse. The game in Houston shows just how fanatic Mexican support is on US soil.
Playing here doesn’t give the US a huge advantage versus Mexico, it just negates the Mexican advantages (elevation, smog, refs fearful for their safety) and creates a fairly level playing field that gives a true result- much like a knockout WC match in Asia.
Too lenient.
@ Chris
Oh, did i hurt your feelings? Someone is getting all butt-hurt. If you think negatively of US fans than this is the wrong place to be. How are you going to come in here and tell us to shut up?
My main point still stands. taking home and away factors out of it, USA is the way better team. throwing gold cup matches aside, we still won our world cup match.
I wont tell you to shut up. Seeing what you post next will give me a good laugh.
To lenient… Various pundits have said it was his passion for the game that lead to the incident.
Passion is NEVER an excuse for conduct unbecoming. Passion never has been and never will be an excuse for throwing things on the field. Passion never has been and never will be an excuse for fighting in the stands. Passion never has been and never will be an excuse for an opposing coach kicking a player on the pitch (and it was, by definition, a kick).
If we accept anything less, we accept hooliganism.
In my eyes, the real problem here is that Aguirre is supposed to be not only the leader of a soccer team, but also his country’s representative. His standard of behavior needs to be above reproach. In fact, his behavior reflected poorly on himself, his team and his country. The apologists only make it worse because it endorses and encourages such behavior in the future.
If I were in charge of CONCACAF, he would be ejected for the remainder of the tournament, and told he couldn’t return to ANY sanctioned coaching position, including U4 YMCA leagues, until he offered a “no excuses” apology to the fans, both teams, the stadium and the city, fined a significant amount of money and forced to do a significant number of hours of “good will community service” in the soccer community.
That being said, there is plenty of other blame to go around. While I sympathize with Phillips, the fact is he was issued a red card. Get off the field. The 10 minute delay is grossly unacceptable. He should have his red card rescinded as unwarranted, then be ejected from the rest of the tournament for his failure to promptly follow the ref’s card sending him off.
Stadium security and tournament organizers also need to shoulder the blame – allowing fans to mix, not providing a safe egress for the carded player, not providing adequate protection for the players and medical staff when coming off due to injury. Unbelievable! Either get a clue as to how to run one of these events, or get a different job. Mall security comes to mind…
getting a possible two games against mexico without Aguirre would be christmas in july
I agree with champe. There is no pride in beating an awful team. Don’t get me wrong. I want to beat Mexico in Azteca if for no other reason than to say we can. I just wish they are at their best when we do it.
As for the suspension, it was fair. It was stupid but not malicious. Why in the world would Aguirre want to kick a player without provocation in a meaningless tournament? He’s not that stupid.
Interesting scenario:
US plays Mexico in the quarterfinals (without Aguirre). We would have the chance, if we beat them, to keep Aguirre out for the WCQ. Would Bradley call in all those extra players (like Altidore) that we have or would he continue fielding a B squad?
It’s simple. It makes our team and accomplishments better. They are our foil and I want it to mean more when we kick their asses. And they are our neighbors and are similarly disrespected internationally.
LOL Really Y?
WTF Y would you pull for Mexico? I hate them and I’m Mexican!!!!!!!
Maybe I’m alone in this, but I always pull for Mexico against everyone but the US. It doesn’t make me happy to see the other power in our region struggle. It’s not good for the US or CONCACAF.
This is a lenient punishment, just as MB’s was too harsh. But here’s to Mexico turning it around just in time to lose to us in the Gold Cup and at Azteca.
I’m curious what the decision would have been in the World Cup vs. the Gold Cup. Either way, what he did is an embarrassment.
Do you think if Germany or Spain or Argentina were playing Mexico on the 12th, they would be sweating this too much? Top teams play their opposition with confidence, no matter what, and that is something we should aspire to.
And personally, I’d rather play a full-strength Mexico than a depleted squad, win or lose. We’ll be at the World Cup next year. Let’s be prepared.
I predict that the suspension of the coach will be the best thing to happen to the Mexican national team in some time. They have been needing some outside event to pull them together and focus their motivation. The impact of not having the coach on the sidelines is pretty minimal – the benefit of perceiving that their coach is “fighting for the team” can be pretty high. (I’m not condoning his action – nor would he, just predicting the impact of it.)
I think it was a bit lenient. I feel that it shows the lack of class from the organization, coach and federation. they are Pathetic and to all of my Mexican American Brethren…they acted just as bad! I am disappointed and I hope we kick their ass bith in the gold cup and at azteca!
Alex….Your wrong…The semis wuld be his third game, but he has to sit out three games. The last game of group (1), the quater final (2), and the semi final (3). Ives is right.
Supsam;
The fact that the US has never won the Gold Cup outside of the US tells you that it’s not really an excuse. It’s a fact.
US fans are fickle, when the calls go their way they don’t say anything but as soon as a ref red cards Ricardo Clark for going studs up on a tackle, all of sudden the conspiracy theories come out.
Please, stfu.
you guys think even lower than their exclusion from Italia 90 bc of overaged players in a youth competition?
the mexican football federation was also fined 25K, I want Aguirre at the Azteca, less excuses, we go in there and beat them and beat their best team with their coach
I want USA to beat Mexico when Mexico is at full strength. You know how they always come up with the lamest excuses.
“Its on your home soil”….geeee almost all the time, the crowd is pro mexican and we beat them on neutral ground in Korea
“You guys bought the refs”…i think we will hear them use this excuse when they dont win in august
It seems like forever that all stories surrounding team Mexico are about coaching changes, controversy and poor results. I am enjoying every minute of it. I wonder what they will do to embarrass themselves next? My bet is that we won’t have to wait very long, seeing as how they have a game tonight.
mexican soccer is at a low point. U.S. soccer is at an all time high. I’m lovin it.
I’d say this is about right. However, I’d also say Bradley’s 4 matches were way too much.
This is just more motivation to whack the bastards earlier in the tournament and hope they lose some more so he’s not on the sideline for Azteca.
“Beckham hits back at Donovan Slur”
how BBC is playing the Beckham story
I think it’s right. It’s largely meaningless anyway. He’s still training the team and setting the line ups, etc.
ugh, i misread… forget wut i said b4 😛
i hope they lose in the quarters… can you say slap in the face?… actually it would probably be more appropriate to say kick in the stomach with this situation
Posted by: baloosh13
———————————————
more like in the nuts…
nah,i hope we play costa rica and us for the final, and i hope aguirre misses the qualifier match.
hopefully mexico fails to get past the quarters. then it’ll really hurt.
i agree though still too lenient
That’s an awfully light punishment considering what he did.
This is BullS..t!!!
He should have been out at least 6 matches for interfering with the play of the game and fined $10K. This is an absolute joke.
Michael Bradley gets 4 games for arguing with a ref and he gets 3 for kicking a player? Yeah, too lenient.
i hope they lose in the quarters… can you say slap in the face?… actually it would probably be more appropriate to say kick in the stomach with this situation
IVES!!! If Mexico makes the semis he will be there for the world cup qualifier too… The semi final would be the 3rd game
Verdict: FAIR
Why: A coach should never touch a player or interfere with play under any circumstances. I am glad Bob has a sense of self-control.
Well deserved.