The Final we all expected, and have all been waiting for, is here.
The United States and Mexico, arch-rivals and regional powers, face off tonight in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final at the Rose Bowl (9pm, Fox Soccer Channel).
Mexico enters riding a high-powered attack led by star striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, while the United States is led by a strong veteran nucleus including Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
Mexico will be looking for a second straight Gold Cup title, while the USA will be vying for a third in four tournaments. Mexico enters the tournament undefeated, while the USA has rattled off three straight shutout wins since a group stage loss to Panama.
If you're looking for some reading on the game, here is my Fox Soccer column on tonight's match, and a look at the recent matches in the rivalry. Also, here is my breakdown of all the key match-ups in tonight's match.
SBI will be providing some pre-game coverage from here in Pasadena, so please feel free to make SBI your place for pre-game discussions.
Let's get it started:
jesus mc pharoah I wouldn’t be calling people 6yrs old when you can’t even read! Matt is OBVIOUSLY reffering to MB’s performance as pathetic! He said that MB’s goal was made by ADU’s service, and that the goal shouldn’t excuse an otherwide pathetic performance ON THE PART OF BRADLEY!
I’ve been trying to stay off the “Fire Bradley” train, but this game revealed A LOT. I’ve been asking myself if I can see this team under BB taking it tier 1 level (I’m talking getting seeded in the World Cup), and I can’t find the reasons to say yes, especially after this. He’s done his piece for the USMNT but now he has got to go and someone else has got to jump in to find the next set of answers.
I think we’ve all gone over all the colossal duds that players committed during the match. At the end of the day, it’s unacceptable for a coach to concede a 2-0 lead IN A FINAL. This is stemming from a lack of consistency in the lineup and just bad game management. And that’s not even talking about the elephant in the room, which is a total makeover of how we even develop our youth players.
I will say there were some bright spots that came out of the tournament. Freddy Adu was certainly a revelation. Someone please give this kid more playing time. I’ll even say Jones made me feel a little better about finding an answer to pair up with M. Bradley.
Hector Reynoso has more experience as a defender than anyone other than Rafa Marquez in all of Mexico…too bad BB doesn’t read up!
Hahaha! You realize that shot went in the upper 90 right? You cant wait for a ball to get lower when it fits perfectly between a jumping defenders head (who is standing on the goal line) and the crossbar. Get real.
But that is the deal with Concacaf. The USA always gets to host but only because every latin american team knows it will have good support (and, obviously, because of the $)
Howard was terrible on that play against Dos Santos. If you are going to come out like that you need to make sure you get the ball. But who was the player from the corner that passed the ball back to the Guardado, that was the worst played ever. You either take it and run or kick it out in that situation not feed it back in the middle.
not about leagues, son…players and teams. When will Eurosnobs learn???
We’ll see. Neither can do much for their clubs. If they are just playing in the odd tournament here and there they’ll fade away.
Disagree. It’s not an excuse it’s what happened. Dolo is old, but he’s been top shelf all tournament and this one. The second they took put Bornstein on Mexico started having real success on that side. Lichaj was having success stopping attacks down that side (not every attack, but it was night and day after the Dolo-Bornstein switch).
lol
Thank God I know you’re joking about the first half of that
A-Lott as a level headed Mexican I thank you. I think Mexico showed civility and restraint. I can imagine the pain (not joking) you’re feeling. I felt it for ten years except Azteca. I’m happy Mexico is growing up in every sense of the word. I’ve always thought Donovan is world class abeit weird, and Howard is a beast on goal. I’m dissapointed at some very low class comments on the site today, but Mexico vs USA is a classic, will remain a classic, and of course it will be a back and forth for years to come.
lol..the curse of de nigris!
MLS was the sole reason for the US getting better so wouldn’t say MLS is the reason for this result.
awful excuse…Cherundalo is not athletic enough for Mexico
You are crazy!!!!!!!!!
if bob bradley had any class he’d resign tomorrow.
this team has constantly underachieved, looked terrible on defense, played terrible to start games thruout his tenure. anything it accomplished seemed to be inspite of bob not because of him.
and he gives almost nothing tactically, he is a rank amature. he gives nothing in selecting players, he is blind and in love with some utter rubbish (borensuck, etc). and he gives nothing as far as building a vision for the whole US system from top to bottom including a pathetic development system that wastes more youth players than any other nation aside from maybe brazil. it is a giant failure that this nation can’t develop and produce better football talent given the overwhemling numbers of players who play at youth level.
jurgen was the right choice the first time bob was hired, and he was the right choice the time bob was rehired. klinsy may not have been the tactical brain behind the rise of germany but he laid much of the developmental groundwork and low was his hire as a tachtician. this nation’s footballing would be leaps and bounds ahead of where it is now if we had hired him after arena.
but the USSF is a corrupt and indolent bunch of pencil pushing losers, sunil being the most obsequious and impotent leader. not only do we get nothing for the rampant accepting of corruption and incompetence, which if a world cup or a talent factory was a result might be tolerable but no … we support with blind puppy dog like allegance the likes of blatter and don’t do anything about warner until his fate is already sealed.
the whole US system is in a shambles and needs root and branch changes. and as much as i like claudio reyna it is a joke that he powers that be think he is the answer … truly pathetic.
This was an example of the best player on the field, Dos Santos, taking full advantage of an injury to Dolo, the rock solid player supposed to mark him, who was then replaced with a folly. Mexico finally played to its potential against the US and the team that everyone thought was better was better and won. But what a weird tournament. Who would have thought that we would have started the final with no real strikers? Or that Adu would be a starter and play a level better than almost anyone else? Or that we would have ended the final in a loss with Bornstein and Sascha on the field? Two final thoughts, I don’t know what’s going on with Gio Dos Santos, but its inexplicable that he isn’t a star somewhere. And the US with Adu, Holden, and Chandler will look much different than what we have now. Or it should, if we can find a coach who knows how hold a 2-0 lead for 60 minutes.
more offense than Jones, for sure
Why didn’t the INS raid the stadium? They could have rounded up at least 50,000 and sent them home.
No, Bornstin plays in Mexico…Lichaj should have been pulled for Spector. Where was that kid from FC Dallas? SHould have been on the roster
He should be fired immediately. I will say Mexico was the better tonight and probably the tournament. But it is how you lose, and the way this team lost tonight was just terrible. The whole point of a team is to win the World Cup, and with him on the realm this will not be the case. It isn’t to qualify and make a quick exit, it isn’t to just play well on some games. It is to win the whole darn thing and tonight we learned that Bradley is not that coach.
Amen. Too many divergent interests at USSF. If someone comes along and wants to do what is best for the USMNT and it involves stepping on the toes of the other interests there (youth soccer, MLS, whoever), that person will get run out of the halls of USSF’s Chicago mansion. What can we expect? Sunil, Chuck Blazer, FIFA–these are the organizers (re: profiteers) of our beloved game.
Totally agree.. I was at the Gold Cup Final at the meadowlands when the USA lost 5-0..
I thought I was in Downtown Mexico City…
I keep seeing this “USA in transition” and USA needs their “youth movement.” Annoying. Bradley (23), Edu (24), Lichaj (22), Guzan (26), Bedoya (24), Altidore (21), Davies (25, Holden (25), Feilhaber (26), Diskerud (20), Agudelo (18), Spector (25), Ream (23); all these guys are young contributors to the USA national team in their mid to early 20s. Not the problem. The problem is that we lack the depth of a Brazil and when we are not 98% healthy, it shows. Going into this tournament missing Feilhaber, Holden, Davies, and DeMerit, and then losing Altidore and Cherundolo along the way, is and was too much to overcome. When full strength, we beat Mexico anytime and anywhere and compete with the best.
I am not happy that the US lost the Gold Cup, but I am happy that the US loat to Mexico.
It is time Sunni, to open up the position of USMNT coach. The fact that Bradley brought in Bornstein as he had no one better, gives rise to the fact that it was Bob Bradley’s choice to bring him in the to the team in the first place. The fact that he had slim pickins on his bench is nobody but Bob Bradley’s fault who evaluated and selected the USMNT players.
Time and time again Bob Bradley relied on inferior and/or inured/not recovered players to back up the “A” team. There was NO GOOD REASON why Bornstein, Klejsatn or even Altidore should have been selected for the team based on their prior poor performances.
Yet there they were.
We now have a very big professional league, we have a healthy collegiate system and we have a middlin-to-good youth program. The fact that Bob Bradley primarily brought in foreign players for many positions when there were better MLS players available show his and the USSF subservience to the MLS, who insisted on playing a full schedule despite having an international tournament taking place at the same time
Remember, BB could have brought in any eligible player from the MLS without there permission or say so. That he didn’t speaks volumes about his decisions off the field.
I hope Sunni, gives BOB his walking papers, but I doubt it. As you US sinks lower and Concacaf get better, losses to teams like Pananma will occur more often, The WCQ will become more desperate and the US soccer will decline further. Maybe the BOD od USSF will see this and give Sunni his walking papers for the state that the US team has fallen to.
The recent failure of the U20’s and the razor edge the U17 are in the Youth WC show how far we have fallen. Did Klinnsman insist on control over the youth fiefdoms as a condition of his employment?
Somewhere I think Jurgen is smiling.
Ricketts is best keeper in Conacacaf
I saw Bornstein come in and knew it was over. I won’t be watching anything soccer related for awhile. If BB gets fired, someone shoot me a text.
Terrible excuse…Dolo doesn’t hav ethe wheels anymore…It would have been 6-2. And Chandler would have been smoked also. Lichaj should have been pulled though.
God willing a decent left-sided player stepped up.
Mexico was losing 2-0 and scored four goals after that. I’d like to know what you are drinking to say that the US was the better team. Mexico lost SIX players if you include Osorio at the beggenning of the tourney, Neither Salcido nor Marquez played the second half! Mexico was the favorite and they proved everyone right! No excuses!
Not what he said
Funny how Mexico had to sub out two defenders and yet the US didn’t take advantage of that. Maybe it’s not Borenstain’s fault.
We still have captains of both teams in the States…not that embarrassing. We need to find a way to bring Gio to MLS…dude is a baller
Actually I think the finals should have been in Anchorage, Alaska!
I am sorry but Bradley is too stupid to notice things during the game. The mexican team kept attacking the left side and Bradley did nothing about it.
You can blame Bradley and you can blame Sunil but the real blame goes to the M.L.S. Mexico got tired of getting kicked around CONCACAF and the FMF forced the professional league to step up it’s player development. Meanwhile, the M.L.S. fields crap teams like the Red Bulls that have all of one American on the pitch at a time. We, as fans, have to DEMAND that the player development efforts be accelerated and that the stupid, anti-competitive rules of the MLS be thrown out. WAKE UP! I do not want to see Mexico back in the drivers seat of CONCACAF for long.
ummm read the whole post. The pathetic was pointed at Bradley. I said BRADLEY’s goal was due to ADU’s service and Bradleys goal does not make up for a pathetic display
OK George…
Pendejo fijate donde vives! IT’s wetbacks like you who forget that hard working MEXICANS like myself give thanks to a great nation that educated me, so that I would not be an ignorant piece of crap such as you. Be greatful for people such as myself who pay for your foodstamps, tanf, wic, and all sorts of governmental help. you are pathetic! tu que si eres un pendejo meco! GO USA!
This is so embarrassing in so many ways.
If you wanted to write a script for a horrible night for the USMNT with the most embarrassing defeat to our most bitter rival ever, it would have gone something like this.
There is absolutely no excuse for this, and I guess now we get to see if Sunil’s got some balls or if he’s really just the little putita he appears to be.
Bornstien never should have came in, Captain obvious told me so.
How is it possible that during the entire camp BB doesn’t see enough of Adu to even give him a minute through the first 4 games, then when he’s run out of options against Panama he’s forced to use him and realizes he’s good enough to start the final, when he really could have used some minutes to gel with his teammates before being thrown into the most important game of his career.
And now it’s 5am and I missed a night of partying in Spain for this bull…UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Been wondering the same thing. There’s gotta come a point when even BB knows it’s time to give up on him (like he did with Clark after the WC).
Lmao, you said pathetic, big difference… What are you 6?
Definitely a terrible decision… keep in mind We didnt have some pieces..Timmy Chandler would have been a nice option to have…
Rico against Ghana, and Bornstein against Mexico. Bob Bradley is profoundly stupid.
However, Mexico of some very fun talented player. I can’t hate them as much tonight, because they tore us apart with style when normally they’d foul and flop.
Mexico on the up.
Bob has made his last mistake. Can’t win with or without a lead. Adios BB. Hasta luego.
Stuart Holden – ” I don’t think 1 person has left “…. Says it all.
You guys are too hard on Bornstein, he is a young , talented and exciting LB. I think that he could be a world class LB by 2014.
Bob Bradley should go. He called to the national team players like Rodgers and Bornstein. I am sorry but a good coach would have fought for the right to bring Chandler in.
yeah, the loss was because of the illegals…idiot
no where in my post do i say freddy Adu was poor