How Far Behind Are We From Mexico?

So Mexico beat Brazil today. They dominate us in Mexico City and they are now dominating us at home. They seem to be far ahead of us. We can't even qualify for the Olympics and our future stars almost never become stars. When Mexico gets a player who should do something, they usually do. Chicharito and Dos Santos are stars for them. We have Dempsey, but he came out of nowhere.

How far behind are we and how do we catch up? They are loaded in the youth teams and are pulling away fast in the senior team. How do we stop that?

 

I'm going to get a little (potentially) controversial and say, does it matter? We don't have to face them in qualifying. For a team clearly in a transitional phase, we really just need to keep our eyes on the ball, and that means worrying about the matches we play and ignoring the ones we don't.

It's about pride, I know, as it always is with rivals. And it pains me a bit to write this, as I'm conceding we can't really compete with them at the moment. I just don't know that much good comes of using them as a barometer at this point in time.

 

Tim, we will end up playing them if we both make the Hex (they switched back to the Hex format than the new proposed format from last summer).

 

Crap. I stand corrected. I suppose we best get our house in order then.

 

Well until Jurgen Klinsmann and his sidekick were in charge we werent behind Mexico at all. But Klinsmann, based upon one result in the Gold Cup, has been able to lower the expectations of US fans to such a degree that everyone now thinks Mexico is in a different league.

 

Mo, when did JK ever say we need to lower expectations and Mexico is vastly superior to us?? I for one don't think we are far behind El Tri in the big picture, but their team is better right now. It really doesn't matter who the manager of the US team is because we are in transition, talent wise. Mexico has a great group of players and appear to have perfect timing for 2014 (like the US did in 2002). El Tri has a legit shot to make the quarter/semi finals this time around. A couple of things to consider;

• 3 great players we are missing for different reasons; Holden, Davis, and Subotic. Those 3 should be in their prime and would have created a great spine and nucleus to build a team around. Holden will hopefully be back. Charlie was well on his way to being our best forward, and now it's doubtful he'll ever wear a US jersey again, and Subotic is one of the best young CB's in the world and was run off by a douchebag still getting paid by US Soccer.
• Our backline is beyond bad (as pointed out by Heather). I'm sorry to all the Boca supporters, but when he is the best option at CB you are in serious trouble. Gooch has been hurt and inconsistent, Goodson is just okay (and that's being kind), and Dolo is getting long in the tooth.
• We need our young players to step up. There is a golden opportunity for a youngster(s) to grab the brass ring and stake a claim on the team. Ex. Brek Shea is someone we all hope steps up, but he looks more concerned w/his lame hair.

 

If we are behind Mexico it is because their youngsters have made the transition to the full national scene and the US youngsters have not. That is not something you can lay at Klinsmann's feet at this point in time. Fabian Johnson looks like the real thing. Michael Bradley is a talent. Holden will help if he can ever stay healthy but where is everyone else? Altidore and Adu were supposed to be the next big names but one is inconsistent and the other hasn't made the strides predicted for him.

Perhaps there are guys out there like Perry Kitchen who will make the transition but until they do we are getting older and El Tri is just getting more talent from their youth. I don't know where the talent is going to come from but I do know that when I watch the US play only two field players look anywhere close to world class and Dempsey and Bradley are only going to carry you so for. ((Diclsimer: Fabian Johnson was excluded due to the limited number of appearances.))

 

Klinsmann said it in this FIFA article
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1566723/index.html

specifically this,

There was also another time, I believe it was when he was officially introduced as the new USA coach, when he said Mexico was a top ten team in the world and the US was not at that level. Grant Wahl and other journalists pointed this out and suggested Klinsmann was starting by lowering the expectations. It was their idea not mine, I just happen to agree with it. Why would a coach say this? Even if they are better at the moment, which is debateable, they have done zero to show they are a whole level above the US. He should be saying we will beat them and that he will do everything in his power to insure that happens, but he hides behind the "US soccer just isnt as good mentality". Instead he gives all the Mexican fans the satisfaction of our own coach admitting what they have always thought - Mexico is a different class when it comes to soccer.

 

First of all, thanks Mo for finding and posting the interview. I hadn't seen it and he says a lot of interesting things in it, not all of which I necessarily agree with. I did specifically like what he said about Buddle (ouch) and the overall mindset needed by our players to reach the top level. Now to be fair that quote was finished with;

'At the same time, we know we can beat them and we've proven it'.

The next question was about the rivalry and he said;

"I don't think the Mexicans like to play us. The US players are fighters and they put everything on the and never give up...CONCACAF needs five more Mexicos and it's games like these that will get us to the level of the bigger teams. They bring out the best.'

 

Soccer is the most popular sport in Mexico but 5th in the US. Simple as that really. We can still surpass them in runs, but over the whole, they should outperform us and they have. If we'd do a better job cultivating our Mexican-American talent, maybe we could close that gap more regularly.