With both US and Mexico having a slow start to the in the hexagonal, the two powerhouses will meet in Estadio Azteca for the most anticipated fixture in CONCACAF. Azteca has long been a death trap for the USMNT until the US won in Mexico in late August of 2012. This is the US’s first return to Mexico since the victory. It will be interesting to see how the US handles the intensity that is Azteca. Although both teams are in a slump and not playing the best football this match is a must watch.
The US national team has been hit hard with the injury bug and has gone to some unconventional methods. For the game against Costa Rica on Friday the USMNT started two midfielders in the defense and moved Geoff Cameron to right back. The US also had striker Eddie Johnson come on as a sub in the midfield and used players like Jones, Bradley, and Beckerman to clutter the midfield and maintain possession. As for Mexico they are healthy but under-performing. They have one point in two games with both games being very winnable. The pressure is mounting on Mexico to get results.
In the last game out Mexico drew Honduras 2-2; they jumped out to a 2-0 lead but surrendered two goals in the second half. They showed a weakness to defend the Honduran attack and were unable to hold possession. They gave up a costly PK that sealed the deal for the Honduran comeback. Mexico will have a full roster and will look to dominate the tempo against the U.S. superstar Chicarito who will be looking to add to his goal tally.
The US will have their hands full for this game and puts immense pressure on both teams and coaches. The US is going to go into Mexico, a team needing to walk away with points. The USMNT are going to need a strong performance from their defense they need to be strong and be the catalyst to control the match. The US defense will be headed by Omar Gonzalez who has battled back from a horrific injury that caused him to miss all of last year. Omar has been a rock this season for LA and had a solid outing last game against Costa Rica. Omar needs to enter tomorrow’s game with the same dominant force. He will going up against a deadly attack and the US will need consistency in the back to stabilize the game.
A lot of the focus is on Clint Dempsey, as he has been named the captain but it is not all on Dempsey. Jozy Altidore has the weight of the world on his shoulders. The young American is tearing it up on the club level netting a record 25 goals for Dutch side AZ. The Yanks need Jozy to show up and have a big game for them. He needs to use his strength and speed to get around defenders and put the ball in the back of the net. It is not all on him though. Jurgen must play a second attacker. If the US wants to go after the game they need to have a second striker up top with him. Most likely the US will use Herculez Gomez, who plays his club ball at Santos Laguna in Mexico. With two strikers up top, Jozy will have someone to run off of and make it easier for him to play with his back to goal.
The US have a tall order in front of them, if they manage to win or tie they put themselves in good position to go to the world cup. They will also be putting their greatest rival in a bad position. The US cannot just sit back and allow Mexico to push the tempo. They need to come out with the mindset they can make history and try to attack. They need to make the smart easy passes early on, and as the game goes on take more chances. The US need to shoot when the opportunity presents itself and make them count. This game will be intense and aggravating, but I can see it resulting in a draw that will keep the US on the road to Brazil.
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