USA vs. Colombia [R]

[clarette]

Originally Posted by Jose Luis Luviano

BS posters say that the Red was not deserved, but enigmatic refereeing is part of qualifying in CONCACAF road games.

Arrrrgggghhh... don't remind me. Am still irate over the last quad, although it was quite comical that The Bruce got suspended.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by clarette

Arrrrgggghhh... don't remind me. Am still irate over the last quad, although it was quite comical that The Bruce got suspended.

Now that you bring it up, I'll admit it--I detest the hexagonal. Eight months of agonizing matches that never seem to end. Visits to stadia around CONCACAF that bring new meaning to the term "home field advantage." And, to use JLL's euphemism, "enigmatic" refereeing. No pain, no gain, I guess.

And the payoff for success is huge--a trip to Deutschland next year.

But does it have to be so excruciating? Of course it does.

At least we get the trip to Azteca done early this time.

[AreliusII]

Mexico's fanfare helps U.S.
Jeff Rusnak
Soccer Columnist




March 13, 2005

The United States and Mexico played friendlies 40 miles apart in Southern California last Wednesday, and as is the custom, Mexico drew the bigger crowd, but the U.S. team got the better result.

Mexico's first team squeezed out a 1-1 draw against a home-based Argentina side in front of 70,000 fans at Los Angeles Coliseum. Meanwhile, a mostly new U.S. squad dismantled Colombia's B team 3-0 in front of just 7,086 at a 10,000-seat stadium in Fullerton.

The attendance disparity came as no surprise, since Mexico's status as this country's best-supported team was established long ago. To U.S. soccer officials' credit, they haven't taken the slight personally. Rather than resenting Mexico's popularity with its huge expatriate communities, the Americans have found a way to profit from it.

Wednesday's match at the Coliseum was promoted under the auspices of the MLS offshoot Soccer United Marketing, which pocketed a tidy payday from the event. The U.S. Soccer Federation also benefited by taking a portion of ticket sales, making the night a win-win at the box office in Los Angeles and on the field in Fullerton.

Those triumphs will evaporate in two weeks when the United States plays Mexico in a 2006 World Cup qualifier in front of about 100,000 fans in Mexico City. Now a bona-fide superclassico, the March 27 showdown reprises memories of the U.S. team's 2-0 win over Mexico at the 2002 World Cup.

Last week's friendlies will have little bearing on what happens at Estadio Azteca. Mexico got the equivalent of a brisk workout against Argentina's B team while the U.S. team started just one player from the 2002 World Cup game, midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, against Colombia.

Six U.S. players got their first start, including scorers Pat Noonan and Chad Marshall. More noteworthy was that the erratic Clint Mathis scored the third goal, his first for the U.S. team in 17 games. The United States, which is unbeaten in 15 games, plays Honduras in the high altitude of Albuquerque, N.M., next Saturday in its final tuneup.

[Deuce]

http://socal.matchnight.com/thgindex.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=245

[AreliusII]

MATHIS TRAINING IN COLORADO, POPE AWAITS TREATMENT: RSL MF/FW Clint Mathis continues with the U.S. Men’s National Team, preparing for the final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying matches in Colorado Springs, Colo. The U.S. National Team is scheduled to face Honduras in an exhibition game on March 19 in Albuquerque, N.M. at University Stadium at 2:00 p.m. MT. The U.S. moves on to face Mexico in its second CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier on Easter Sunday, March 27, in Mexico City, a game which will be televised live on ESPN2 and Telemundo at 11:00 a.m. MT. Before returning to the team for its inaugural game against the MetroStars, Mathis could also suit up for the U.S. National Team against the Guatemalan National Team on March 30 in Birmingham, Ala. RSL DF Eddie Pope, who left U.S. camp last week due to pelvic inflammation, continues to rehabilitate the injury and hopes to rejoin the U.S. in time for the two World Cup Qualifiers later this month.

[bordelais7]

http://socal.matchnight.com/thgindex.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=245

Does anyone else get the impression that even if Clint scored 12 goals in a USMNT match, he somehow wouldn't get credited for any of them and would get called out for being inconsistent and lazy? People expect a lot from him, that's for sure.