World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

USA up by one at the half. Great garbage goal by Bradley. Go us.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

I'm sure all the "red-white-and-blue'ers" couldn't be happier with the result -- but
what crappy soccer. US soccer sucks.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

I'm sure all the "red-white-and-blue'ers" couldn't be happier with the result -- but
what crappy soccer. US soccer sucks.

Another rich US Soccer parent snob who knows nothing.........

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

not the person who made the previous post but i would agree. as always, take the result but the us did not play a great game. very disorganized defensively in the first half and many just poor passes when they could have simply kept possession. usa goes full speed ahead when they see any green in front of them. team is very young though and maybe the experience of qualifiers they should win will help them. i agree if this were a wc game they would be beaten by probably any european team they will play. bradley has his work cut out with the current group though to make them a legit round of 16 contender in 2010.

us is number one team in concacaf region but as we have seen at recent wc's that does not mean much on the world cup stage.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

"us is number one team in concacaf region but as we have seen at recent wc's that does not mean much on the world cup stage."

Part of the US problem is the fact that they are in concacaf where there is little competition.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

US does need to improve their play, mind you the conditions did not help either.

I absolutely hated the coverage provided by ESPN.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

Bradley's goals lead US, 2-0

By RUSTY MILLER – 12 hours ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Michael Bradley scored twice to lead the United States to a 2-0 victory over Mexico in a World Cup qualifier Wednesday night, preserving the Americans' domination in the series over the last nine years.

"I think everybody on our team was really excited to play tonight," said Bradley, the son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley. "Anytime you play against Mexico, it's special. On top of it, it's for a World Cup qualifier."

On a wet and windy night at Crew Stadium — under the threat of a tornado watch — the Americans ran their record to 9-0-2 on U.S. soil against Mexico since 2000. Tickets had sold out in 90 minutes, with many of the 23,776 fans showing up hours before to stand in the rain while waving flags and wearing their national colors.

"It's never easy to beat Mexico," Bob Bradley said. "They're a good team, they have very good players. Our players love these games, the atmosphere. It's ironic that we start this round playing against them. But everyone was excited about it."

After both teams played cautiously at the outset, the Americans finally broke through.

DaMarcus Beasley's corner kick found Landon Donovan at the far side of the 6-yard box, with Donovan heading it back into the scrum. Oguchi Onyewu's header was stopped by diving Mexico goaltender Oswaldo Sanchez, but the rebound came right into the path of Bradley, who kicked it in from 6 yards.

"It was a great corner from Beas, and Landon did a great job heading it back," Bradley said. "It was not so hard for me to put it in."

That touched off a wild celebration just a few feet from the red-clad Sam's Army, which danced in the aisles and threw confetti up into the jet stream winds.

Then, in second-half stoppage time, Bradley took a pass from Donovan and his shot from 28 yards dipped under Sanchez's arms. It secured the third straight 2-0 win for the Americans over Mexico at Crew Stadium in World Cup qualifying.

"Clearly there's an advantage (in Columbus) for us, and a disadvantage for them," Donovan said. "Mentally it's got to weigh on them. I can't imagine they like coming here. And we love playing here."

Mexico captain Rafael Marquez was ejected in the 65th minute when he went high to spike goalkeeper Tim Howard as they went for a loose ball. Howard, who angrily threw the ball down while he flexed his leg, also picked up a yellow card for delay of game on the ensuing free kick.

"I apologized to the team," Marquez said. "I know I'm important to the team. And I shouldn't set this kind of example. But this is just starting. There are still many important games."

The loss could mean more trouble for Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. His team, with just one win in its last seven outings, barely made it into the final round of qualifying. A former manager of England, he had been brought on to stop what many Tricolores fans consider an almost unforgivable sin: losing to the United States. Mexico easily controlled the series for decades, but the U.S. team has now gone 13-7-8 since 1990 to narrow Mexico's advantage to 29-15-11.

"Football is a big sport and, face it, sometimes it's not a friend of (patience)," Eriksson said. "But I'm optimistic because I think we have a good team. We have to score goals — that's our biggest problem."

Michael Bradley said it was the Americans' defense which spelled the difference.

"We did a real nice job of getting after them and not letting them breathe," Bradley said.

The match was the first of 10 in the final round of qualifying for each team. The United States next plays at El Salvador on March 28 before taking on Trinidad and Tobago on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn. Mexico entertains Costa Rica on March 28.

Both teams played somewhat guardedly in the opening minutes, thrusting and parrying to determine how the ball would react in the windy conditions and what the opposition strategy was.

Mexico had one strong scoring chance stopped by Howard's leg save and another shot was high over the crossbar in the first 6 minutes. The United States' best early scoring chance came in the 22nd minute after a foul just outside the box. From 22 yards, Donovan's hard, low kick was just wide left.

The Americans also had another prime opportunity in the 31st minute when Donovan headed the ball to Clint Dempsey for a hard shot that Sanchez deflected with the lower part of his body.

Bradley then broke the impasse.

Mexico's best shot at tying came in the 71st minute when Carlos Ochoa was wide right on a kick from 34 yards.

The weather was relatively calm once the game got under way. A steady rain pelted the stadium most of the afternoon. Then around 90 minutes before the start, a mammoth storm front rolled through, shaking the windows around the stadium, blowing away anything that wasn't tied down and reducing visibility to almost nothing.

Shortly after, crews came out twice to squeegee the field. Stadium officials warned the early-arriving spectators to seek shelter under the stands after a violent lightning strike not far away.

With temperatures throughout the day in the 60s, a cold front came through to create dangerous possibilities. At gametime, it was 52 degrees.

Fans from 43 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and, of course, Mexico snapped up the tickets. Hours before the game, the fans were singing, chanting, drumming and blowing on horns while wearing 3-foot wide sombreros, national flags and Uncle Sam hats.

Notes: The United States has not lost a home match to a continental rival since 2001, going 37-0 with 10 draws. Included in that domination is a sterling record at Crew Stadium, home of the 2008 Major League Soccer champions. The Americans are unbeaten in eight international games (5-0-3) in Crew Stadium and are 4-0-2 in World Cup qualifiers. ... On Feb. 28, 2001, the Americans won 2-0 in 28-degree weather, with ice fringing the field — a match now called Guerra Fria, or the Cold War. They won by the same score in much warmer weather in September 2005 to help secure a spot in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

Field was not up to international standards. Very bumpy and hard to pass the ball and neither team could keep any kind of possession. hard to believe that 3 and maybe 4 of the concacaf teams are going to the world cup. It should really only be one. Many teams in the world of a much higher standard will not be there.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

Field was not up to international standards. Very bumpy and hard to pass the ball and neither team could keep any kind of possession.

All intentional as is playing in Ohio in February. It's called homefield advantage. Mexicans are better at ball control then the US, so give them a bumpy field. Americans, especially those playing in Europe, are use to playing in cold weather too. Mexicans will return the favor by scheduling their August rematch at Azteca Stadium where the altitude has done in the US before.

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

Did anyone else think Clint Dempsey looked sick? Maybe it's just the hair, but I thought he looked like all the blood had been drained out of his face!

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

[
Notes: The United States has not lost a home match to a continental rival since 2001, going 37-0 with 10 draws

They would have a better record than that if they expanded to play High schools and youth club teams instean of just the weak and laughable competiton they are used to When Sweeden wont even send their starters and score 2 goals V U.S. pretty pathetic no wonder none of the big clubs take us seriously

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

How about a father coaching his kid?

Re: World cup qualifing USA/Mexico on now

Thoughts:
-great seeing soccer in HD, even if the producer keeping flicking the switch to Mr. Shakey Hands cameraman.
-US was up for it. I loved the game. Anytime you get a 2-0 shutout versus the Mexicans, it is a great day.
-Field was fine, looked greener than I thought it would be. Unless players are playing in Portugal, Spain or southern France, everyone is used to a bumpy field. So chill out you perfectionists.
-First goal was terrific. I thought, with the way the ball hung up off of Beasles' cross, that the Mex. defenders would have been able to get some pressure on Landi Cakes. But if you look back at this set piece, the defending is shocking... Gooch's mark leaves him and watched the ball as it goes into Landi Cakes, which gives Gooch a free and quick header on goal. If you watch Mike Bradley, same thing, but it while it was scrappy, it wasn't by accident. Bradely is anticipating every bounce and movement of the players and the ball. Good goal under pressure... I couldn't get my foot up that high right now.
-Good article written above, where exactly is it from?
-I like how Rafa Marquez apologizes in the above article...dirty twat.
-Landon Donovan... Landi Cakes... US SOCCER should revoke your wages for the night. YOU WERE USELESS. I hope the kids I coach weren't watching him! All that time in Germany and nothing more to show for it. Give me Jozi and McBride!
-Sven is gone. I'm surprised we haven't seen anything about his sacking. BTW: he lives in a small one bedroom apartment in Mex. City, that is not an action of a man who has job security.
-Sven to Stamford Bridge in the summer??? hmmmmmmm.... very interesting
-fans were great last night. I was proud to be an American Soccer Fan last night. (Unlike when I go to a Revs' match and I can't stand the boring soccer moms and kids who won't such up above fried dough and other promo crap. When I call the ref an F-ing wankers everyone just stares at me? Uneducated losers, stay home if you don't want to participate. Take a page out of Toronto FC's book and you'll see what real fans are all about.)
-ESPN announcers want to make me put on Coldplay, look at pictures of my past ex's and slowly slit my wrists.

-Other than that... great start for US MNT. Sorry for the miserable rant at the end... I love blogs. :)