USA vs. MEXICO World Cup Qualifier

[azsouthendzone]

USA hasn't beaten MEX in Azteca. Hopefully today is different. GO USA!!!!!

 

[Stout]

Man, I'll be happy with points, but I we're going to walk in there expecting a victory. Man, do I hope we get it!!!

 

[azsouthendzone]

MEX 2
USA 0 at the half. No offensive chances so far.

 

[Gorilla]

O.K. guys!

Guatemala won 5 - 1 to Trinidad & Tobago.... up next: USA!!... We play you guys on Wednesday!!! I think the game is in Birmingham AL...

 

[Stout]

Wow! I'm a huge Bruce Arena fan, but you can lay this loss squarely on HIS shoulders. God, do I want to jump through the screen and PUMMELL a coach when I see us playing with only one forward. Then we come out in 'bunker' mode. Then the announcers give lip service to all the 'oh, we're going to pick and choose our opportunities to counter' crap. Then we come out, COACHED to lay back and pray for a tie, and gee, what happens? A loss? WOW!!! Who'd have thunk it?

Whoever thought of deciding not to play for a win at a tough away game and hanging back deliberately should be...well, I would say shot, but in this game, someone might take me too literally. Bad Arena...BAD!!!

 

[cardsunsfan]

Wow! I'm a huge Bruce Arena fan, but you can lay this loss squarely on HIS shoulders. God, do I want to jump through the screen and PUMMELL a coach when I see us playing with only one forward. Then we come out in 'bunker' mode. Then the announcers give lip service to all the 'oh, we're going to pick and choose our opportunities to counter' crap. Then we come out, COACHED to lay back and pray for a tie, and gee, what happens? A loss? WOW!!! Who'd have thunk it?

Whoever thought of deciding not to play for a win at a tough away game and hanging back deliberately should be...well, I would say shot, but in this game, someone might take me too literally. Bad Arena...BAD!!!

Can't wait for the Cardinals to play in Mexico with their great fans that love our country so much

 

[Pariah]

That first goal by Mexico was the best play I've ever seen on a soccer field.

 

[CaptTurbo]

This blows huge chunks

 

[Zeno]

I am not too upset because I just didn't expect us to win in Mexico City. A tie was really the best I was hoping for, the Mexicans just rarely lose in Azteca Stadium.

As long as the U.S. takes care of business at home it won't matter. There really is only one more truly tough road game...in Costa Rica(with fans as bad or worse than Mexico--hey lets give them a football game too ).

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Tough loss, our defense was way too passive...I wonder why players like Hedjuk and Sanneh wern't included, too old? Missing those guys and Pope really hurt our defense. We played half a match and lost.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

yep ... annoying defeat

i hate the passive approach .. be aggressive, dictate the game and don't let up

that first goal by mexico was sick

i was really hoping to further quiet the tri-colors ... oh well

 

[Zeno]

Tough loss, our defense was way too passive...I wonder why players like Hedjuk and Sanneh wern't included, too old? Missing those guys and Pope really hurt our defense. We played half a match and lost.

Well Hejduk stinks, thats probably why he wasn't included. You need to have more than speed and a high work rate. He is the king of the give aways.

Sanneh was probably a matter of age. His best years are behind him.

I would have started Gibbs over Berhalter though. Berhalter was awful. If Pope hadn't been injured I assume we would have seen him instead.

I also would have made some changes earlier while I don't think McBride is a starter anymore he should have been subbed in before the 85th minute.

They may have played a bit passive but it wasn't being passive that caused them to lose, they lost because they could never complete that last pass, the timing, accuracy and weight of their passes were off for most of the game. I think Reyna just recently returning from yet another injury played a role in that, he just wasn't sharp. It would be nice to have both him and O'Brien at 100% health and fitness wise for a change.

It will be interesting to see what lineup they run out on the 30th, especially with Beasley suspended. They must take care of business at home, a 2 goal win would be nice.

 

[Gorilla]

I am not too upset because I just didn't expect us to win in Mexico City. A tie was really the best I was hoping for, the Mexicans just rarely lose in Azteca Stadium.

As long as the U.S. takes care of business at home it won't matter. There really is only one more truly tough road game...in Costa Rica(with fans as bad or worse than Mexico--hey lets give them a football game too ).

I am well aware that US Soccer has come a long way, but don't underestimate the other teams. Panama gave the fits to CR this last game, and playing in Guatemala is no easy task. But I guess this will all be tested on wednesday. GO GUATEMALA!!!

 

[azsouthendzone]

I am well aware that US Soccer has come a long way, but don't underestimate the other teams. Panama gave the fits to CR this last game, and playing in Guatemala is no easy task. But I guess this will all be tested on wednesday. GO GUATEMALA!!!

Carlos Ruiz is a stud but he's containable. I think it will be a good game but the US needs to win this one, especially after Sunday's loss. I say USA 2 Guatemala 0.

 

[Zeno]

The US has never lost(or tied) at home to Guatemala and has never lost to them in qualifying period. This is the strongest US squad ever, I think they will take out their frustrations from Mexico on them tomorrow.

 

[Gorilla]

The US has never lost(or tied) at home to Guatemala and has never lost to them in qualifying period. This is the strongest US squad ever, I think they will take out their frustrations from Mexico on them tomorrow.

We will just have to wait and see..... We have nothing to loose... this is a game as the one you just played in Mexico (great if it's a win, good if it's a tie, but expected if we loose).

Let the best team win!!

 

[Renz]

Wow! I'm a huge Bruce Arena fan, but you can lay this loss squarely on HIS shoulders. God, do I want to jump through the screen and PUMMELL a coach when I see us playing with only one forward. Then we come out in 'bunker' mode. Then the announcers give lip service to all the 'oh, we're going to pick and choose our opportunities to counter' crap. Then we come out, COACHED to lay back and pray for a tie, and gee, what happens? A loss? WOW!!! Who'd have thunk it?

Whoever thought of deciding not to play for a win at a tough away game and hanging back deliberately should be...well, I would say shot, but in this game, someone might take me too literally. Bad Arena...BAD!!!

Here's another person who agrees with you.

Arena's experiment went awry

Ives Galarcep
ESPN Soccernet.com

The first thing you noticed was the heavy breathing.

After Sunday's World Cup qualifier between the Mexican national team and the United States, American players could be heard taking in labored breaths as they faced the media. Mexican players didn't have that problem. They smiled, bragged and walked like players who had no trouble dealing with the lung-busting altitude that had their opponents gasping for air.

So was it really the altitude that cost the Americans their first victory at Azteca Stadium? It certainly didn't help but, in the final analysis, the leading candidate for blame after last Sunday is none other than Bruce Arena. Yes, the same man who put on a coaching clinic against Mexico in the 2002 World Cup had a stinker Sunday, on the same day when his counterpart, Ricardo LaVolpe, had a masterful performance.

From the decision to start Eddie Johnson as a lone forward to the decision to start a four-man back-line that had never played a game together before Sunday, Arena's decisions made Mexico's job much easier on a day when the Mexicans didn't need much help.

Arena knows he could have done better. The fact that he was willing to acknowledge that the Johnson-as-lone-forward strategy wasn't a wise one spoke volumes. Yes, the players are the ones on the field, but the American players were following instructions that left them confused and unable to respond to Mexico's strategy.

LaVolpe's strategy was viciously clever. He was aware that the U.S. back-line was without its best leader, Eddie Pope, and its most fit defender, right back Frankie Hejduk. He knew Arena would start a set of fullbacks, Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo, who have some good skills going forward but some limitations defensively.

What does LaVolpe do? He has his team sit back for the first 25 minutes, watching the Americans move the ball around and expend energy without ever really threatening to score. After that initial period, LaVolpe sends the dangerous Jared Borgetti right at the central defense and then overloads both wings with extra attackers. Cherundolo and Bocanegra were overwhelmed, wingers Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis spent more time helping the defense than attacking, and central defenders Gregg Berhalter and Oguchi Onyewu were completely confused as they juggled trying to contain Borgetti and helping contain the overloaded wings.

The U.S. team finally got going once the Mexican attackers tired in the second half, and pulled a goal back, but once LaVolpe subbed in three fresh sets of speedy legs, all realistic hope of stealing a point from Azteca was lost.

What could have Arena done differently? Taking the attack to the Mexicans with an offensive-minded lineup and formation would have helped. Sure, there would have been some risk of burning the U.S. team out early but that seemed to have happened anyway.

Would the Americans have won if Arena had enjoyed a better day and had a more successful preparation? They might not have considering how disciplined, dynamic and inspired the Mexicans were. But a stronger showing from the winningest coach in American history certainly would have kept the U.S. team from looking like the bumbling mess it looked like for stretches on Sunday.

What matters now is that Arena recovers and puts together a lineup and strategy to defeat a red-hot Guatemala. Arena's adversary tonight is Ramon Maradiaga, one of the region's best and most underrated coaches. Maradiaga already has a World Cup qualifying win on American soil under his belt, in 2001 with Honduras, so Arena will have his work cut out. Guatemala is on a roll after its 5-1 thrashing of Trinidad & Tobago, but the Americans still have the weapons to secure a home victory, as long as Arena doesn't decide to experiment again.