CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying

[JasonEvans]

Huge, huge, huge point for the US tonight in Mexico. Really exciting match much of the time. Mexico was the better team on their home turf, but we just kept on bending without breaking on defense.

I know it is early and there are a lot more matches to come, but you have to think this puts us in pretty decent shape to make the World Cup in 2014.

-Jason "next up -- at Jamaica on June 7 and then home to Panama on June 11" Evans

[Bluedog]

Big time result. I don't follow soccer typically, but got sucked in to the game last night. Certainly, Mexico outplayed the US with the US basically having a defensive, "go for the tie" mentality, but that's the result they were looking for. Mexico had something like 15 corner kicks while the US probably had 2. (Same discrepancy with shots on goal.) Some key stops and good fortitude with players constantly having lasers on them, the high altitude, and the smog making conditions difficult. Got a bit lucky avoided a foul called in the box when a US defender took out a guy from behind, but sometimes, need a bit of luck. Somehow, Mexico is now 5th in the group (with no wins I believe), while the US sits in third. Top 3 automatically advance to the World Cup and the team in 4th place has to play New Zealand to qualify, IIRC. Great game, great result. Had me on the edge of my seat.

[Reisen]

Mexico had something like 15 corner kicks while the US probably had 2. (Same discrepancy with shots on goal.)

This is incorrect. While there was a similar discrepancy in shots (17-1), the shots on goal discrepancy was much smaller (3-0). Which leads me to address Evan's post.

I keep hearing this meme of "the US bent but didn't break", starting with Alexi Lalas last night, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Indeed, the US did make some excellent defensive plays (Graham Zusi, in particular, may well have saved the game), and Guzan was very strong in goal. For the most part, we kept their forwards from getting behind our back line, and avoided giving the ball away in circumstances that would have led to sure goals.

However, I don't think you can ignore the fact that we let Mexico get off 17 shots. The fact that they only put three of them on goal, despite often beating our defenders to the ball as close as the 6 yard line, tells me that the Mexican media / fan criticism of the game is correct: the Mexico players simply didn't finish their opportunities. Chicharito, in particular, surprised me by not finishing a couple of balls that a top tier striker really should at least put on frame.

I feel like bending but not breaking would be a ton of saves from Guzan (ie. way more than 3), clearing balls off the line, chasing down a bunch of breakaways, maybe a goal or two called back for offside. Instead, what we saw was a Mexican team that pretty much kept sending balls whizzing across the mouth of our goal all night long, but their forwards couldn't execute fairly straight forward side volleys or headers.

As for the two fouls that weren't called in our box: I have a very simple opinion on that. Mexico has a well deserved reputation for diving, and the ref wasn't going to give them the benefit of the doubt in real time. Very much "The boy who cried wolf". I would LOVE to see more referees do this. The fastest way to crack down on the Latin teams would be to show all their antics actually work against them.

[A-Tex Devil]

As for the two fouls that weren't called in our box: I have a very simple opinion on that. Mexico has a well deserved reputation for diving, and the ref wasn't going to give them the benefit of the doubt in real time. Very much "The boy who cried wolf". I would LOVE to see more referees do this. The fastest way to crack down on the Latin teams would be to show all their antics actually work against them.

Yeah, the second non-penalty call was egregiously bad, but they are El Tricolor, so, you know, screw them. That's just karma for a dozen years of Cuauhtemoc Blanco's and Rafael Marquez's goonery. I don't feel guilty about it at all.

[Bluedog]

This is incorrect. While there was a similar discrepancy in shots (17-1), the shots on goal discrepancy was much smaller (3-0). Which leads me to address Evan's post.

Sorry, I meant just shots and not "shots on goals." I didn't actually look up the stats, though (and am admittedly not that knowledgeable about soccer), so was just doing it from watching and thinking "wow, they've had a lot more shots than us..." But definitely understand your point in making the distinction.

[CDu]

This is incorrect. While there was a similar discrepancy in shots (17-1), the shots on goal discrepancy was much smaller (3-0). Which leads me to address Evan's post.

I keep hearing this meme of "the US bent but didn't break", starting with Alexi Lalas last night, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Indeed, the US did make some excellent defensive plays (Graham Zusi, in particular, may well have saved the game), and Guzan was very strong in goal. For the most part, we kept their forwards from getting behind our back line, and avoided giving the ball away in circumstances that would have led to sure goals.

However, I don't think you can ignore the fact that we let Mexico get off 17 shots. The fact that they only put three of them on goal, despite often beating our defenders to the ball as close as the 6 yard line, tells me that the Mexican media / fan criticism of the game is correct: the Mexico players simply didn't finish their opportunities. Chicharito, in particular, surprised me by not finishing a couple of balls that a top tier striker really should at least put on frame.

I feel like bending but not breaking would be a ton of saves from Guzan (ie. way more than 3), clearing balls off the line, chasing down a bunch of breakaways, maybe a goal or two called back for offside. Instead, what we saw was a Mexican team that pretty much kept sending balls whizzing across the mouth of our goal all night long, but their forwards couldn't execute fairly straight forward side volleys or headers.

As for the two fouls that weren't called in our box: I have a very simple opinion on that. Mexico has a well deserved reputation for diving, and the ref wasn't going to give them the benefit of the doubt in real time. Very much "The boy who cried wolf". I would LOVE to see more referees do this. The fastest way to crack down on the Latin teams would be to show all their antics actually work against them.

I would agree with all of this. Mexico beat our defense numerous times but just didn't do a good job of putting the ball on goal. There were at least two opportunities that could have or should have been goals in the last 15-20 minutes of time (the corner kick that Chicarito sent over the bar being one of them; Guzan getting caught a bit off his line and beaten by a shot inside the 18 was another). Mexico created plenty of chances and just didn't convert. We were fortunate to get the draw, and it was not really due to strong defensive play by our guys.

Regardless, Mexico is a tough place to play. And we didn't need the win. Getting the draw is a fantastic result, and we're now in pretty good shape in terms of qualifying.

[Reisen]

Sorry, I meant just shots and not "shots on goals." I didn't actually look up the stats, though (and am admittedly not that knowledgeable about soccer), so was just doing it from watching and thinking "wow, they've had a lot more shots than us..." But definitely understand your point in making the distinction.

No worries, I figured you meant shots (as opposed to shots on goal), but wanted to seize the opportunity to show the difference in the two stats. Kind of like if a basketball team has 30 turnovers, but only 3 of them were forced.

[Reisen]

Regardless, Mexico is a tough place to play. And we didn't need the win. Getting the draw is a fantastic result, and we're now in pretty good shape in terms of qualifying.

Exactly. I felt somewhat similar to how I felt watching the Creighton game. Both games were somewhat ugly (certainly not offensive masterpieces), I do think both of my teams (Duke and the USMNT) played excellent defense at times, but I also think both results had a lot to do with the opponent simply not finishing their chances.

The Creighton game was obviously different in that Duke won by a decent margin, and I do think Duke played strong defense. Still, like Mexico, Creighton missed a number of chances they really should have converted (wide open threes, short putbacks).

For the Mexico game, all pressure was on them to get 3. 1 point for us is huge for the entire CONCACAF region (or at least anyone with the goal of qualifying), because it denied them 2. Still, I expect to see both teams (US and Mexico) in that top three by the time this is over.

[JasonEvans]

For the Mexico game, all pressure was on them to get 3. 1 point for us is huge for the entire CONCACAF region (or at least anyone with the goal of qualifying), because it denied them 2. Still, I expect to see both teams (US and Mexico) in that top three by the time this is over.

I dunno. Mexico now has 2 points from 2 home matches. That is not good. They also tied Jamaica, hardly one of the stronger teams in CONCACAF. They have pretty much eliminated much of their margin for error in the group and will likely need a road win or two to feel at all comfortable about qualifying. They are unquestionably skilled enough to do it (Mexico is almost certainly the best team in CONCACAF), but they have to be feeling nervous at this point.

--Jason "Jamaica and Panama are almost certainly the two weakest teams in the bracket, but Panama is currently leading the standings with 5 points" Evans

[sporthenry]

The result was great from a morale standpoint but from an actual qualification standpoint, it isn't that big. I doubt the US and Mexico are battling it out for the 3/4/5 spots so it isn't that important to make sure they only get 1 point and it does give the US some margin for error but they'll have to lose some games they should win for them to need this 1 point. And as for Mexico, they should be fine. Heck, they'll probably be the favorites in Columbus and as long as the US comes away with a point, I'd consider that another win.

But from a morale perspective, being able to take a short handed US squad into Azteca and get a draw should give us depth and confidence going forward. Hopefully Landon comes back and we have a relatively healthy squad for June and we can take at least 5-6 points and put us at or near the top of the table. Then Holden will be back for the September games and we should be peaking at the right time.

[blazindw]

As someone who was in the stands down at the Azteca Tuesday night, I can tell you that it was way more than a morale booster for us! It was a demoralizer for Mexico as well. Before the beer, urine, ramen noodles, water, shoes, batteries and plastic bottles (and other stuff) started raining down on us, the crowd of 114,000 turned on its own team. They were CRUSHED that they didn't win, and despite being soaked and clocked by all of the above, it was a match that I will remember for the rest of my life and a ticket that will remain among my treasured possessions. The first point in Azteca since 1997 and it righted a ship that just a week ago everyone thought was sinking. 4 points from 6 in these two matches are something that gets the U.S. back on track towards qualifying for Brazil 2014, while the masses in Mexico City were talking about what the heck is wrong with La Seleccion and whether Chepo gets fired before the next round of qualifying matches in June.

If you are a fan of the USMNT, going to Azteca is a must-do...it's the ultimate hostile environment and it's the rush of a lifetime. And bringing a point back home with us is something that they can never take away from me!

[gus]

As for the two fouls that weren't called in our box: I have a very simple opinion on that. Mexico has a well deserved reputation for diving, and the ref wasn't going to give them the benefit of the doubt in real time. Very much "The boy who cried wolf". I would LOVE to see more referees do this. The fastest way to crack down on the Latin teams would be to show all their antics actually work against them.

I wasn't able to see the game, so have no idea about these calls. But boy do I hope you're right about the bolded. I thinking diving is a scourge that needs to be aggressively eliminated from the game.

I've always favored a post game review of all penalties in major tournaments, and if a it's clearly a case of simulation, excessively harsh penalties should be meted out (e.g., banning the guilty player from the rest of the tournament). But the with the corrupt FIFA beauracracy, I'm no longer so sure that kind system could actually be done fairly.

[luburch]

US is currently up 1-0 on Jamaica 60 minutes in. Haven't looked great, but are grinding out an important result.

[luburch]

Jamaica levels it in the 88th minute. Absolutely pitiful defense from the US off of a set piece. And pathetic keeping by Tim Howard.

[luburch]

Brad Evans scores in the 92nd to put the US up 2-1 and that's how it finished. US really fortunate to walk away with three points, but boy are they a huge three.

[toughbuff1]

Jamaica levels it in the 88th minute. Absolutely pitiful defense from the US off of a set piece. And pathetic keeping by Tim Howard.

Brad Evans!!!

[DevilAlumna]

Brad Evans!!!

See-aaaaattttt-le! Sooooouuuuuunnnnn-ders!

We love Brad, looking forward to having him back in the lineup, along with Eddie Johnson.

[JasonEvans]

US and Costa Rice now lead the hex with 7 points in 4 matches. Mexico also has 7 but with 5 matches played. Panama is at 6 points with 4 matches.

Key for the US is that we still have 4 home games to play and only 2 road matches. We have a huge home game in just 3 days against Panama. Putting up 3 points there would give us some breathing room. Costa Rice and Mexico play the same day. June 11th is a major day for the hex.

-Jason "thus far, the Klinsmann era has been very good but there have been a few spotty results in CONCACAF qualifying" Evans

[JohnGalt]

US and Costa Rice now lead the hex with 7 points in 4 matches. Mexico also has 7 but with 5 matches played. Panama is at 6 points with 4 matches.

The best part about Mexico and their "prolific, goal-poaching, world-class striker Chicharito" is that 3 of their 4 draws have been 0-0. I get so much sick pleasure from that.

Key for the US is that we still have 4 home games to play and only 2 road matches. We have a huge home game in just 3 days against Panama. Putting up 3 points there would give us some breathing room. Costa Rice and Mexico play the same day. June 11th is a major day for the hex.

I agree. Believe it or not, that win in Jamaica is the first time a US side has EVER won a WCQ in Jamaica. So even though at first glance that appears to be gimme points for the US, it was nice to get all 3...they're kind of like unexpected expected points.

-Jason "thus far, the Klinsmann era has been very good but there have been a few spotty results in CONCACAF qualifying" Evans

I mostly agree. I think you have to say the jury is still out on Klinsmann but he is slowly moving into the "success" region. It's still too early to label it "very good" although the result at the Azteca and a few others have been promising. The biggest problem with Klinsmann is he's up against the brutal reality that is the American sporting conscious. To put it bluntly, Americans are used to winning and we expect to win. In everything. Every time. I would argue it even ties into the whole American exceptionalism paradigm. Either way, this works against Klinsmann because we are eons behind in youth development (teams in Europe literally scout and develop 5-6 year olds...Liverpool, for example, has an Academy Coach of the U6-U8 age group). The MLS is just now approaching 18 years old while the major leagues in Europe and Latin American are close to or more than 5x that length. That's something that isn't easily solvable. Youth development has been overhauled in recent years - Claudio Reyna should be applauded for his efforts - but we're still working against the way we generally view things in the States as well as how our amateur-to-professional pipeline is setup. I remember reading in an interview a few years ago (sorry can't remember which to cite) Reyna commenting that right now in the USA if you have a group of 12 year olds, the overwhelming mentality [even in training] is on winning rather than playing in a manner that will benefit you more in the future: say sitting back defensively and hoofing it downfield looking for the 1-0 win rather than trying to play a more positive possession-based game and risk losing. This is something that needs to be changed and Reyna and others are attempting to change it via more practice and less full-matches.

What I'm getting at is that we simply aren't there yet as a nation. We are still a couple World Cups away from having those signature athletes that can actually allow you to challenge in the later rounds. I like to think that the United States has a bunch of B- players with a couple Bs and borderline B+ ones as well but zero As...and these are the guys that will come through development. Klinsmann is a brave man to have taken on this task and I actually like the way in which he has used so many different players around the team. I like the way he's handled the Donovan flakiness and I like the way in which he's proactively tried to move past the Bocanegra foundation that anchored the team for so many years (i hope that doesn't sound thankless to Carlos...he's been a tremendous asset to the team over years). Actually - fun fact - last night against Jamaica was the first time in his USMNT career that he's used the exact same lineup from the match before. This was the biggest problem with Bob Bradley. He was a fine coach that generated some fine results but it didn't feel like we were making any positive direction both in (a) style of play and (b) squad evolution. Klinsmann - oftentimes to his own detriment - has been close to the exact opposite. I have high (and probably unreasonable hopes) that Holden will be 100% and back to his pre-injury form for the WC because I think a CM of him, Bradley, and Jones could be really, really solid. Also, Zusi is showing the country what Altidore does with proper service. He becomes Alkmaar-Altidore rather than plain ol American-Altidore. Although it feels like Jozy as been around forever, he's only 23 after all. He's got a lot to give.

Unless we implode and don't qualify for the World Cup we should be looking at keeping Klinsmann for the next WC so that he can work with Reyna and try and steer US Soccer in the correct developmental direction (and hopefully get rid of our awful crest). Because at the moment, that is our biggest and most important challenge. We need to develop our own version of La Masia, Melwood, Sporting, Ajax, etc. It should be a fun journey...but at the same time I am absolutely desperate for us to be good.

On a side note...I had a chance to see the Panama/Mexico WCQ in Panama City last night. Fun atmosphere!

DSC_0145.jpgDSC_0233.jpgDSC_0140.jpg

[throatybeard]

The best part about Mexico and their "prolific, goal-poaching, world-class striker Chicharito" is that 3 of their 4 draws have been 0-0. I get so much sick pleasure from that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK-gUXl7usc