Next big game (not really, kind of fake) for the USMNT is upon us. Mexico awaits in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.
Couple of notes ...
- This game offers a trophy and a chance to play in the Confederations Cup in 2017, which really just offers a preview of the World Cup venues in Russia. So big deal, kinda sorta.
- US and Mexico are your last two Gold Cup winners, thus this tie. The US could have avoided this game had they not played like crap in the Gold Cup.
- The Rose Bowl is sold out, but LA is notoriously a pro-Mexico crowd so expect about a 50/50 mix ... maybe a little heavy on Mexican support.
- For Mexico, Tuca Ferretti is still in charge and still wearing the interim tag. As awlays with their managers ... who the heck knows? Gio dos Santos is out with injury and is a big blow for them as he returned to the good graces of the national team and always drives the US nuts. Capt Andres Guardado and Rafa Marquez should also be out due to injury but are for some reason included on their team sheet. Again, who knows?
- The US has been all over the place since losing their edge in the Gold Cup and there's growing heat on Klinsmann to do SOMETHING. So even this largely meaningless game takes on huge significance. Primary among his problems is a defense group that just can't seem to find their collective game. And we've got pretty much the same old lot back for this one ... including Alvarado and Orozco, the central pairing from hell. Similarly repeating problems surrounding who will actually score for this team will be left to the same old crew as usual. Altidore and Wondo in the true striker roles, Zardes and Dempsey in the playmaking forward roles. Whoo Hooo ... fills you with confidence.
Saturday 10/10 at 8PM on ESPN ... tune in and find out what happens, because there's no way I'm handicapping this mess. Both sides are a big pile of question marks.
Couple of notes ...
- This game offers a trophy and a chance to play in the Confederations Cup in 2017, which really just offers a preview of the World Cup venues in Russia. So big deal, kinda sorta.
- US and Mexico are your last two Gold Cup winners, thus this tie. The US could have avoided this game had they not played like crap in the Gold Cup.
- The Rose Bowl is sold out, but LA is notoriously a pro-Mexico crowd so expect about a 50/50 mix ... maybe a little heavy on Mexican support.
- For Mexico, Tuca Ferretti is still in charge and still wearing the interim tag. As awlays with their managers ... who the heck knows? Gio dos Santos is out with injury and is a big blow for them as he returned to the good graces of the national team and always drives the US nuts. Capt Andres Guardado and Rafa Marquez should also be out due to injury but are for some reason included on their team sheet. Again, who knows?
- The US has been all over the place since losing their edge in the Gold Cup and there's growing heat on Klinsmann to do SOMETHING. So even this largely meaningless game takes on huge significance. Primary among his problems is a defense group that just can't seem to find their collective game. And we've got pretty much the same old lot back for this one ... including Alvarado and Orozco, the central pairing from hell. Similarly repeating problems surrounding who will actually score for this team will be left to the same old crew as usual. Altidore and Wondo in the true striker roles, Zardes and Dempsey in the playmaking forward roles. Whoo Hooo ... fills you with confidence.
Saturday 10/10 at 8PM on ESPN ... tune in and find out what happens, because there's no way I'm handicapping this mess. Both sides are a big pile of question marks.