Category: Soccer America Daily

[HEXAGONAL] Who needs David Suazo when you have Carlo Costly and Carlos Pavon? Suazo, arguably the best Concacaf striker playing in Europe, was again missing from the Honduras lineup for its match against Costa Rica Wednesday in San Pedro Sula, but Costly, El Gigantón, and the well-traveled Pavon (13 clubs in seven countries) combined for three goals in a 4-0 win over the Ticos that moved the Bicolor into second place ahead of the USA on goal difference.

[ANALYSIS] The point the USA gained at El Salvador in March thanks a pair of very late goals looms bigger and bigger. The Hexagonal’s big four — Costa Rica, Honduras, the USA and Mexico in order of their current placements — has held serve against each other at home. If that form prevails, how they’ll finish — the first three to South Africa, the fourth team into a two-game playoff against South America’s No. 5 team — will come down to how they do at the Hexagonal’s bottom feeders, El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago.

[EUROPE] Germany remained in first place, while France, Croatia and Slovenia all got wins they needed to remain to contention for a possible second-place finish that would earn them a playoff in European qualifying. Scotland, on the other hand, tumbled badly. Its 4-0 loss to Norway in Oslo was a major blow to its chances of finishing second in its group already won by the Netherlands.

[MEXICO-USA] Losing to Mexico in Azteca Stadium again is a dreary repeat of past results, but more disquieting than the loss is a run of recurring errors.

[OFF THE POST] Brazilian star Kaka got lost while taking a morning walk in the Estonian capital of Tallinn the day before Brazil’s friendly against Estonia. Two police officers who recognized the $90 million man and learned that he couldn’t find his way back to the hotel drove him back in their patrol car.

[MEXICO-USA] How best to deal with the heat, smog, altitude, fans and Mexican national team that is nearly unbeatable in Estadio Azteca? The USA looks for answers to those obstacles that it will face when it meets Mexico in Wednesday’s much-anticipated game (TV: Telemundo/mun2, live, 4 p.m. ET)

[MEXICO-USA] U.S. players arrived Tuesday in Mexico City to chants of “cinco, cinco, cinco” from Mexican fans, in reference to El Tri’s 5-0 win over the USA in the Gold Cup final, but Mexico coach Javier Aguirre says a repeat of that result is very improbable.

[TRIVIA] The United States did beat Mexico once in Mexico City. A sell-out crowd of 41,000 was on hand. Mexico went ahead on a penalty kick 10 minutes into the second half, but the Americans rallied to win, 2-1, on a pair of late goals, prompting the local fans to pelt the Mexican players with debris. What was the year? What the competition? Who was the future U.S. star who committed the foul that led to the Mexico penalty? Who were the college teammates who scored the two U.S. goals? Who was the U.S. keeper who is still active today?

[MAKING A LIST] In story after story this week, it’s been stated that the USA is 0-18-1 at Azteca Stadium. Problem is, Azteca wasn’t opened until 1966 — after the first 10 Mexico-USA games in Mexico City — all Mexico wins, of course — took place. The USA’s record at Azteca is a still-miserable 0-8-1. Here’s a look at where the USA and Mexico played in the pre-Azteca days …

[HEXAGONAL] Mexico isn’t the only Concacaf team in a must-win situation on Wednesday. Honduras must beat Hexagonal leader Costa Rica to remain on course toward a berth at the 2010 South Africa. Security is expected to be heavy in the industrial city of San Pedro Sula following a coup that ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya.

[HEXAGONAL] Four and half hours after Mexico and the USA kick off at Azteca, two other Concacaf qualifiers begin: Honduras-Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago-El Salvador. If Costa Rica and the USA take points on the road, they will maintain their lead at the top of the Hexagonal standings. But if both lose, the race for the three automatic berths will tighten considerably. For the Hexagonal standings, schedule and past results …

[WPS] Contrary to what was stated in Tuesday’s SoccerAmericaDaily, injured U.S. national team star Lindsay Tarpley is expected to be back on the field, training with WPS’s Chicago Red Stars in preseason next March and playing in their 2010 opener in April, according to Red Stars President Peter Wilt.

[OFF THE POST] Swiss club Basel fined its goalkeeper Franco Costanzo for grabbing a teammate by the hair on the field but allowed Argentine to keep the captain’s band.

[USL-1] The latest Brazilian star acquired by Miami FC is 39-year-old defender Junior Baiano, a starter on Brazil’s 1998 World Cup runner-up team.

[MEXICO-USA] The USA has faced Mexico eight times at Azteca Stadium. Only three Americans – not counting an own goal – have scored at Azteca.

[MEXICO-USA] The 105,000-seat Azteca Stadium sold out two weeks ago for the World Cup qualifying game Wednesday. Proceso reports that lower-section tickets with a face value of 600 pesos ($46) are on the market for 5,000 pesos ($380). General admission tickets that originally sold for 120 pesos ($9.20) are reselling at up to 1,200 pesos ($93), according to Medio Tiempo.

[MEXICO-USA] Only three of the Americans who played in the Gold Cup final are in the traveling squad for the Hexagonal match Wednesday at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City (TV: 4 pm ET, mun2/Telemundo), and though two of them played for Houston on Sunday they profess they’ll be ready if called upon.

[TELEVISION WATCH] How big is the Mexico-USA showdown in Azteca being treated? For the first time in the 30-year history of ESPN, it will offer a live pre-match show for a soccer event it is not televising.

[WORLD CUP 2018/2022] Philip Anschutz, a founding investor of Major League Soccer who had at one time owned six of the 10 MLS teams through his sports and entertainment company AEG, has join the board of directors for the USA Bid Committee, which is striving to bring the World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022.

[U.S. WOMEN] Two-time gold-medalist Lindsay Tarpley is sidelined after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during training with WPS’s Chicago Red Stars last week. She joins a group of nine current U.S. pool players who have suffered ACL injuries. Surgeries generally require 8-10 months for a full recovery.

[W-LEAGUE] The Pali Blues became the first team to go undefeated and win back-to-back W-League championships, rallying to beat the host Washington Freedom, 2-1, in the final.

[BARCELONA TOUR] Guadalajara of Mexico held Barcelona to a 1-1 tie Saturday at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park before an announced crowd of 61,572 fans, handing La Liga champions their only blemish on their three-game West Coast tour. Chivas nearly pulled out a win when Mexican-American Jesus Padilla hit the post with two minutes left.