Mexico is vulnerable. The U.S. is confident ... Hmmm
My ESPN Soccernet piece went up today regarding the U.S. roster for next week’s U.S.-Mexico skirmish down at Estadio Chaos. Here’s what the piece doesn’t say:
I have this sneaking suspicion that it might be a big night for The Bradley Bunch. It’s just a hunch. Then again, my last hunch regarding U.S.-Mexicowas spot on. I’ll try not to bust my arm patting myself on the back.
In this case, "big night," might just mean a draw. But for a team that has never won at Azteca Stadium, that qualifies as noche grande in my book.
Foremost, any team with Tim Howard in goal has a chance right now. A good chance. He’s confident, he’s already in form (based on last week’s mighty performance in Everton’s win over the MLS All-Stars) and I think he’s at a place in his career where toting more and more responsibility is as natural for T-Ho as putting on his shirt.
After last week’s All-Star game, I was struck by Howard’s words and his general demeanor.
He had been large and in charge, for sure, on the field. But since it was just a glorified friendly, should we read too much into that?
I think the answer is "yes." Everton gets it done against far more skilled EPL foes through a shared bond of honest effort and esprit de corps. Or, as Howard said, "We don't have the luxury of taking any game easily. August 15 against Arsenal (the Toffees' EPL opener) is going to come around quickly."
The man is laser-locked in. Listen further:
“I’m at the stage in my career where I can’t take any game lightly,” he said. “I don’t have that opportunity. I play for my national team. I play for Everton. Those are two really important things in my life. I take them very seriously. I just don’t think you can every take one game and dismiss anything.”
If I had to choose between that dude and Dick Winters as someone to follow into battle … man, that’s a tough call.
Seriously, I’ve been in locker rooms enough to know that, sometimes, the words spilling from a mouth are just a well-rehearsed routine. They are just words, a smokescreen to obscure an uglier truth, that someone is unprepared or ill equipped or both. These guys know all the right words, but it’s only because someone has schooled them on spin, content and how to deliver the message.
Or, sometimes, it’s just bluster. And bluster will be as worthless as piss on a pump handle when 11 souls in U.S. shirts walk out into the soupy night in the Azteca cauldron next week.
In Howard’s case, I think he’s just locked in, focused at the moment like some Jedi Master. And that stuff gets infectious.
As for everyone else, well, all the psychological factors remain north of the border. That 5-0 hiccup in the Gold Cup final? That means nothing. At all.
That was a Mexican mashup of “A” squaders and “B” squaders. For the Americans, it was the “C” team, or at least the B-minus side. Frankly, I was a little surprised that version of the U.S. side made it to the final.
I understand that Javier Aguirre is now in charge for the Tri Colors. Again. But he’s got the same band of broken brothers. They weren’t doing so well previously in qualifying. Fourth place? Are you kidding me?
Mexico is vulnerable. Simple as that. Rafael Marquez is back, and that will help El Tri. But the American A-listers, buoyed by the swagger of a handsome Confederations Cup run, will be confident and loose. As I mentioned in the Soccernet piece, they never circled this date and expected much from it. Mexico, on the other hand, will be under tremendous pressure next Wednesday.
For now, barring injury to a key player or other high jinks that might come up, I’m calling a 1-1 tie.
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