[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.
Category: Story
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Player Ratings
[MEXICO-USA] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and analyzes their performances in their 2-1 loss to Mexico Wednesday at Azteca Stadium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Players bemoan missed opportunity
[U.S. REACTION] Members of the U.S. national team bemoaned the missed opportunity to take a point at Azteca and jeopardize Mexico’s chances of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. Here’s what Charlie Davies, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Carlos Bocanegra and Tim Howard had to say after the 2-1 loss in Mexico City …
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Aguirre: It’s tequila time
[MEXICO REACTION] No one was more relieved that Mexico had beaten the USA than its coach, Javier Aguirre. For the second time in eight years, “El Vasco” had been called in to lead Mexico in a key qualifier against the USA and accomplished the task. His reaction? “We can have a couple of tequilas tonight,” he said.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bruce Arena on the Azteca Showdown
Current Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena coached the USA in Azteca Stadium three times: a 1-0 overtime loss in the 1999 Confederations Cup semifinal and 1-0 and 2-1 losses in World Cup qualifiers in 2001 and 2005. But he guided the USA to its greatest win over Mexico, the 2-0 victory in the round […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Steven Gerrard to Miss Netherlands Clash
Steven Gerrard has pulled out of the England squad for Wednesday’s friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam because of a groin strain. He is replaced by Aston Villa’s Ashley Young, who has five England caps. While training on Monday, Gerrard felt a slight soreness in the leg and it was decided to pull him out […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Government Bailout for Argentine Season
The Argentine league season, whose Aug. 14 start date was postponed because of severe financial problems facing the country’s top clubs, could kick off Aug. 21 amid a proposed government takeover of television rights to the games. The government has proposed paying the clubs $154 million for rights to televise the season, which would force […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Colorado Rapids Lose Midfielder to ACL Injury
Colorado Rapids midfielder Colin Clark has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee from an injury suffered the injury in training on Tuesday. He will miss the remainder of the 2009 season. Clark started in 16 games this season and had three goals and a career-high five assists. Clark […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gulati: Bradley Will Coach at World Cup
The Washington Post's Steven Goff reports on a Mexico City press conference in which U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati was asked by Mexican reporters to compare Mexico's frequent coaching changes with the longevity of U.S. bosses. "We don't have that same sort of public pressure," Gulati said. "It's increasing, which is a good thing […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Old Fan Chase Excuse
Sunderland midfielder Grant Leadbitter told a court the reason he was driving 112 mph with a patrol car on his tail was because he thought a car of full of Newcastle United fans chasing was him for a fight. "My heart was beating fast, I was scared and I wanted to get home as quickly […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wining Italians Leave Bad Impression in China
After 2009 Italian Serie A league winner Inter Milan and Cup winner Lazio played their Super Cup match in China, the hosts complained about the clubs’ prodigious wine consumption and the insults of Inter coach Jose Mourinho. “Just on wine, they ran up a bill of 70,000 yuan ($10,240),” said Wang Bo, who looked after […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend. In USL action, Miami hosts Minnesota on Friday. WPS playoffs start on Saturday when Sky Blue takes on Washington. MLS and Mexican matches will be played throughout the weekend. Look for updates in Friday’s Soccer on TV.
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USA’s real record at Azteca
[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 …
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Security tight for Honduras-Costa Rica
[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.
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World Cup qualifying in brief
[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 …
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Tarpley expected back by 2010 spring training
[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.
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Cops help lost Kaka
[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.
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Points, and pride, at stake in Azteca
[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)
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Aguirre: Another 5-0 win improbable
[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.
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The night the USA won in Mexico City …
[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?
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
More Evidence of Home-Team Edge
In an attempt to discover whether refs favor the home team, researchers showed one group of refs videotapes of tackles in the English Premier League with the sound off while another group of refs viewed the tackles with the sound on. The group that watched with the sound off called 15.5 percent fewer fouls against […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bradley: Important Not To Get Stretched Out
Mexico's higher seeding than the USA at the 2006 World Cup resulted in the USA's placement in more difficult group (Italy, Czech Republic, Ghana), from which it exited in the first round while Mexico advanced from a group with Iran, Angola and Portugal. U.S. coach Bob Bradley addressed whether he believed the result of Wednesday's […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Will Jose Francisco Torres Get His Chance?
The 23-year-old Longview, Texas, native Jose Francisco Torres has the tools to revolutionize the U.S. national team, says Sports Illustrated’s Jonah Freedman. But that doesn’t mean Coach Bob Bradley will take him off the bench on Wednesday against Mexico, where Torres plays for Pachuca, the club he joined while in high school. “The young midfielder […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Adu May Be Headed To Denmark
Freddy Adu may be on the verge of joining Odense BK in Denmark on a one-year loan from his Portuguese club Benfica, which last season loaned him out to French Ligue 1 club Monaco, where he sat on the bench. Adu, 20, recently denied a reported move back to FC Dallas in MLS and said […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan Could Make It Happen
If the USA manages to get a result in Mexico City it will likely be thanks to Landon Donovan. The USA is 7-1-2 against Mexico in the 10 games that Donovan has played and 4-0-0 in games in which he has scored against Mexico. Donovan, the USA's all-time scoring leader with 41 goals in 115 […]