In the cold and snowy Columbus the clash of the year for Mexican media took place, as Mexico traveled to the northest venue to earn yet another painful and usual dafeat against the American team two-nil. Michael Bradley's brace ensured the U.S. the top place in the wretched CONCACAF final hexagonal. It seems that Mexico is destined to not win again on U.S. soil, since ten years have past from the latest defeat. This seems to be the same with Tottenham against Arsenal in Premier League matches.
On the other hand, this match brought so much attention from my country, that for my countryman seemed strange that the whole world did not matter a bit about it. But what is the common opinion outside my country? There were the fatalistic comments from Albert, the rather rigorous words of Pardo and several accounts that range from brilliancy (Paco Villa) to nonsense (Voodoo doll).
After all this is the match that really matered, rather than those against Sweden and so forth. So in one of the first steps and within a year's coming I inaugur the Qualifiers for Mexico in this entry. Each and every match of the qualification round shall be reviewed as well as the European and any match I encounter in the way.
Regarding the endless story of chosing Columbus as the venue I think that it was quite dull due to the fact that in the pitch that will affect all 22 players and not less.
My surprise was the inclussion of Giovani Dos Santos in the starting eleven, with only half a match played against United. In any case it was Giovani who took an early shot at Howard's goal at 3'. Mexico showed an incredible pace on the first fifteen minutes. The touching and the different attacks from both sides earned Mexico several arrivals, even in freekicks, such as Pardo's 6'. With a Mexican team rather focused, the U.S. midfield seemed a shadow from the latest encounters. The northern neighbors also attacked from the likes of Dempsey. Landon Donovan's freekick nearly enters goal as the Mexican players grew nervous due to the late-arrival of a goal. At 27' the most dangerous approach by the American team arrived when Donovan set Dempsey in a rare header, that was miraculously saved by Sánchez. The match was open and divided in terms. But it had to be the Uruguayan Castillo who limped of the field with a calf strain, forcing the entrance of Martínez at 34'.
Finally Giovani returned to the position that impressed me so much in the U-17 championship at Perú, as a central attacking midfielder. The match went rapid enough to become one of those unforgetable end-to-end matches until the late lead by Bradley came. In a strange set the corner came and after an unmarked Donovan set Bradley.
Exactly what the American team wanted, happened. The late lead could bring confussion to the Mexican side and the midfield did not worked as expected. Pardo was completely nullified from the map, and Leandro did a far better job than expected as well as Giovani. At least Leandro has won the name of Leandro and not Brazilian, from my point of view. Mexican players became so desperate that the long balls seemed the only option, and did this for at least ten minutes. Before the wretched 64' incident, Batres and friends had disallowed two legitimates onside positions, this could have changed the whole perspective of the match. After that hell came.
One can ask how come that th idiocy of certain players can burst suddenly from nowhere. We have the example of William Gallas, but here in my country the epithome is Rafael Márquez. He has a long-running record of sentoffs in the most important matches, such as 2002 against the Americans also. This time I think he will not be missed since next match, mid-March against Costa Rica at home, could have the overtalented and brilliant Jonny Magallón.
Aside from that the match turned completely on to the United States. There were many attempts to goal but it was again Bradley who secured the win with a rather weak shot that Oswaldo could not control.
If you want a first-hand US account, only US, go to this biassed article. At least Carlisle put up the difficulties that the US team had to face, but conveniently enough he did not mention Giovani's penalty in the sentoff play by Márquez. And ofcourse this will never happen: ""We look forward to that challenge," Bradley said of winning in Mexico. "That's on our list of things to do.""
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