USMNT v. Mexico, August 12th

It's a tad bit early, but there's gonna be some prime build-up to this one. Mexico has already released its roster (and it includes Blanco!). It's time for squads, predictions, starting XIs, rumors, curses, prayers and reliable information in the run-up to the first victory ever at Azteca.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/s ... index.html

I thought it appropriate to kick-off the postings with andypalmer's "dream sequence" from the Gold Cup thread:

"I dreamed this last night, so I thought I'd write it up and post it.

It was August 12th, 2009 in hot and humid Mexico City, Mexico. The site was Estadio Azteca, site of the key world cup qualifier between Mexico and the United States. As the teams came out for warm-ups, the mood of the respective sides could not have been more different. El Tri, the Mexican national team was in high spirits, joking and having stuff, still euphoric after their demolishing of the US team in the Gold Cup final the previous month. The Americans on the other hand were, well intense was the best way to describe them. There was no laughter or idle chatter; their focus was absolute. At one point, team captain Carlos Bocanegra walked over the Sam’s Army USMNT supporters and called down one of their leaders for a conversation. They seemed to argue for a minute and then the fan nodded in agreement and returned to his seat. Throughout it all, the masses of green-clad Mexican supporters continued their steady stream of songs, and chants.

The teams came back out for the final line-ups and national anthems. The entire city could hear the over one hundred thousand singing the Mexican anthem in unison. The couple thousand members of Sam’s Army in attendance sang with gusto, but could do little to be heard over the whistles from the Mexican fans.

The Americans kicked off and began the game. Immediately you could tell something was different. The Yanks were known for playing a high pressure game, but their pressure and energy was uncanny. The Mexicans were having trouble linking three passes together and were forced to resort to long balls that were inevitably won by the Americans. On attack, the yanks were putting on a clinic. The Mexicans were helpless against the raw speed of Davies and the power and guile of Altidore. On the flanks, Donovan’s pace and Dempsey’s artistry were ripping the Mexicans to shreds. In the center of the park, the creativity of Feilhaber and the determined grit of Bradley not only owned that piece of real estate but were initiating the devastating American attacks.

Before long, the Americans were up 1-0 on a superb Davies strike. There was no celebrating among the American players. Davies calmly ran up, grabbed the ball, and placed it in the center circle. The American team positioned themselves and invited the stunned Mexicans to start up play again. What was even more amazing was that Sam’s Army, who you could expect to be going nuts right now over a goal, were quiet spectators – a calm island of red in a sea of angry green. They looked on intensely, but it was if they were no longer fans, but witnesses.

On any other day, in any other game, Ochoa’s performance in the Mexican goal in the first half would have gone down as one of the greatest of all time. He made 18 saves, many of them amazing examples of his athleticism and reflexes. It didn’t matter. Every shot made by the Americans was on target and they peppered Ochoa’s goal incessantly. He made 18 saves, but the 22 shots meant that the USA went into the locker rooms at half-time with a stunning 4-0 lead. The Mexican team was booed off the pitch at the break.

Throughout it all, the Americans didn’t interact with the Mexican players, not during the dirty fouls, which lead to four yellow cards, not during the attempts by the frustrated Mexicans to provoke a personal reaction from the yanks. The Americans took it all, without even looking at their opponents and just walked away. But after every goal, there was no celebration, they set the ball back up for play and gestured for the Mexicans to continue.

The Americans came out after half-time early and just calmly took their places on the field, performing a few stretches in place, while waiting for the Mexicans to rejoin the game. There were surprisingly no jeers by the Mexican fans as they did this; they were just greeted by silence.

The Mexicans came out, putting on a good show of determination and receiving half-hearted applause from their fans. They immediately made three changes to their roster, replacing some of their veterans with up and coming attacking talent. It didn’t matter. The American juggernaut continued, not giving the green-clad players any time on the ball and using a combination of great movement, one touch passing, and creativity to carve through the Mexican defense. At the 66 minute mark, the Yanks were up 6-0.

At that point, we see the first movement on the US bench. Both Brian Ching and Heath Pearce begin warming up. A few minutes later, Altidore is subbed off for Ching and Bocanegra for Pearce. As Bocanegra approaches the sideline, he takes off the captain’s armband and places it, with much ceremony, around the arm of Ching. The American players then applaud; there is a sense of a salute behind the gesture and Sam’s Army picks up the feeling and joins them in an applause of salute. It was clear then, what was happening. Ching was the captain during the US team’s worst loss to Mexico; he would now be the US captain at the closing whistle of their greatest victory over their rivals.

The game continued, with the dejected and downtrodden Mexicans just trying to stop the bleeding. There would only be one more goal, a cross by Pearce met strongly by Ching to beat Ochoa for the seventh time. Ching did allow himself a brief fist pump of joy after the goal.

As the final whistle blew, the now half empty stadium was mostly silent. The Mexican fans weren’t even booing their home team, too stunned by the American performance. Sam’s Army just gave their team a dignified standing ovation.

At the after-game press conference, Coach Bradley, Bocanegra, and Donovan sat stone-faced at the press table. As the questions from the press began, Bocanegra held up his hand for silence and the read a prepared statement:

“Today wasn’t about the rivalry; it wasn’t about proving who was the best team in CONCACAF. It wasn’t even about revenge. Today was about sending a message. If you run up the score against the US Reserve team, you WILL regret it.”

At that, all three quietly rose and left the press-room, leaving the sports reporters speechless. Next to the empty table, the Mexican coach and players were left trying to explain the worst home defeat in their history and how their already tenuous world cup qualification chances had been shattered."

 

Okay article about the 5 - 0 beating and looking ahead

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/ ... 85123.html


This reminds of some words AndyP wrote

 

HD. Where's the Spector love?

GK - Howard, Guzan
DEF - Boca, Gooch, Demerit, Spector, 'Dolo, Pearce
MID - Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Feilhaber, Clark, Holden
FOR - Altidore, Davies, Johnson, Ching

 

G: Howard; Guzan (I've watched some of Guzan in the Peace Cup and he looks the part more than ever - commanding the back and breaking off his line for the most part. Sorry, but Guzan remains better than Perkins in my book)

D: Bocanegra, Demerit, Gooch, Spector, 'dolo, Heydude

M: Feilhaber, Dempsey, Bradley, Donovan, Torres, Holden, Clark

F: Davies, Ching, Altidore, Edward Johnson (nice call AP! I think his call up would provide an asset in the US attack, especially late, and also comprise a just reward for working his ass off during the past 8 months and earning a spot on the bench in a European match - while not a whole lot, an astounding 180 from where he was headed 12 months ago.)

XI: Howard, Boca, Gooch, Demerit, Spector, Dempsey, Bradley, Feilhaber, Donovan, Davies, Ching*

*subject to revision prior to 8/12

 

Here's my line-up

-------------Howard---------------

--Heydude---Gooch---Demerit----Boca---

---------Clark---------Bradley--------------
---Donovan -----------------------Dempsey-


-------Ching----------------Josy-------------


Bench: 'dolo or Spector (whoever is faster, I'm thinking 'dolo, Guzan (never been a fan but agree with Nevzter, he was looking good in the Peace cup and we wont need him anyway) Benny, Davies, EJ


Here's my strategy: Use the veterens with experience v. Mexico and at Azteca. Let Hejduk and Ching frustrate them. Control the game in the first half and score a goal to lead 1-0. Bring in Benny early in the second half, bring in Davies or EJ at 60 min, bring on 'dolo or Spector at 80 min, and pummel, pummel Mexico - everyone scores a goal.

I am taking the week off for the game (sort of) and I've given up drinking Mexican beer.[/list]

 

Roster announced:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 11/7 SO)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 21/3), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover: 18/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford: 2/0), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew: 0/0), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan: 16/1), Jonathan Spector (West Ham: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach: 10/4), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 5/0), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 17/4), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus: 1/0), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo: 0/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 5/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal: 8/5), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids: 5/0), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 15/6), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux: 2/1), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 30/11)

In solidarity w/ Mo, I will also give up Mexican beer (for a whopping 5 days!).

 

Seriously, WTF is up with Seniors love affair with that big lump Connor Casey and that traffic cone Jonathan Bornstein??

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mod ... nt&id=4997

 

Casey seems to be holding forward insurance for Ching if he is still not 100% healthy. That is my only guess.

As for Bornstein, I guess he likes him over Pearce for that back-up LB spot.

 

Bornstein is still on the radar based on shutting down Messi in the Copa America in 2007. Against a fast, agile right midfielder, he's my pick.

 

I want our team to come out attacking. I would rather see Benny than Clark, but I doubt it will happen.

How in the hell does ESPN fail to negotiate the rights to this game?

 

I thought I read somewhere that NBC is really trying to push this Mun2 station, so the offered the game to ESPN for like 3-4 times the normal price for games like this knowing ESPN wouldn't pay that much for it so they could keep the game.

 

I just want to watch it in hi def.

 

Rafa didn't play the other day for barca in Seattle. No idea why, but if it is injury I wonder if we will not see him for this match.

 

.
Injured calf and supposedly out 15 days so he won't be available...which is nice.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... ld&cc=5901

 

I think Bradley's insane if he doesn't start the same, or nearly the same, dudes that beat Spain. I'd go for:

G: Howard
D: Spector, Gooch, DeMerit, Boca
M: Deuce, Bradley, Clark, Lando
F: Jozy, Davies

This is our best chance in a long time to get our first win at Azteca. Plus, we'll have revenge on our mind for the Gold Cup final. I still can't bring myself to care that much about our C team losing to Mexico in the Gold Cup, though. I mean, FFS, our f'n C team made it to the final. That should prove once and for all who the best team in CONCACAF is.

 

I just dont think you should start two young forwards against Mexico at Azteca. We need the

Ching of Fire

Besides, I like the idea of bringing Davies in for his speed during the second half when Mexico is tired.

 

Hee. Ching of Fire.

Haven't decided whether to record this or skip out on part of an afternoon of work.