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Four Underrated United States vs. Mexico Matches at Azteca
(And What They Can Tell Us About Wednesday) Noah Davis takes a look at games fans of both sides may have forgotten.
Aug 11, 2009 5:57:26 PM
By Noah Davis
As excitement for Wednesday afternoon's World Cup qualifying match between the United States Men's National Team and Mexico in Estadio Azteca reaches a stratospheric level, the Internet is littered with stories highlighting the rivalry. The tales of the past are once again finding a spot in the hazy sun akin to that which surrounds the venue where the Americans have managed just a single tie in 19 attempts.
Here's a look at some important moments that might go overlooked in the U.S.'s long history of futility in Mexico City.
July 25, 1993
After losing to the U.S. in the semifinals of the 1991 Gold Cup, El Tri returned home and gained a measure of revenge with a 4-0 win in the finals of the tournament two years later. 120,000 watched as Ignacio Ambríz started the rout in the 11th minute and then watched as it essentially ended after just 30 minutes when Desmond Armstrong put a ball into his own net. Not counting the 2009 Gold Cup final, the defeat tied the mark for Mexico's biggest margin of victory over the Red, White, and Blue since 1957.
August 1, 1999
In the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored the fifth of his sixth goals in the tournament to send the Americans into the third-place match (where they beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 on the strength of strikes from Paul Bravo and Brian McBride). The victory didn't come easily for Mexico, however, as it needed 97 minutes to put a ball passed the superhuman Kasey Keller. If the U.S. coaching staff wants to show its players that results in Azteca are possible, they can certainly point to this gutsy effort.
July 1, 2001
If there's a cautionary tale for the U.S. team, this game during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup final is it. The Mexican team, coached by Javier Aguirre (that name should ring a bell), outshot its opponent 14-4 in a game that wasn't as close as the scoreline would indicate. Bob Bradley's team has shown a disturbing inability to show up to matches on occasion -- hey, hey Costa Rica -- and desperately needs to avoid coming out flat Wednesday night. (Ironically, El Tri could have helped the U.S. qualify for Japan/South Korea as the team defeated Honduras, the eventual fourth place finisher, on the last matchday. The Americans didn't need the assist though, as they managed a tie against Trinidad and Tobago to see them through to the next summer's international tournament.)
March 27, 2005
Mexico scored two goals in the first five minutes and hung on to defeat the United States, which started Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu, and Steve Cherundolo, 2-1 in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The lone American goal proved vital, however, as it helped the Americans earn first place in the Hexagonal on goal differential after they tied in points with their neighbors to the South.
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com
As excitement for Wednesday afternoon's World Cup qualifying match between the United States Men's National Team and Mexico in Estadio Azteca reaches a stratospheric level, the Internet is littered with stories highlighting the rivalry. The tales of the past are once again finding a spot in the hazy sun akin to that which surrounds the venue where the Americans have managed just a single tie in 19 attempts.
Here's a look at some important moments that might go overlooked in the U.S.'s long history of futility in Mexico City.
July 25, 1993
After losing to the U.S. in the semifinals of the 1991 Gold Cup, El Tri returned home and gained a measure of revenge with a 4-0 win in the finals of the tournament two years later. 120,000 watched as Ignacio Ambríz started the rout in the 11th minute and then watched as it essentially ended after just 30 minutes when Desmond Armstrong put a ball into his own net. Not counting the 2009 Gold Cup final, the defeat tied the mark for Mexico's biggest margin of victory over the Red, White, and Blue since 1957.
August 1, 1999
In the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored the fifth of his sixth goals in the tournament to send the Americans into the third-place match (where they beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 on the strength of strikes from Paul Bravo and Brian McBride). The victory didn't come easily for Mexico, however, as it needed 97 minutes to put a ball passed the superhuman Kasey Keller. If the U.S. coaching staff wants to show its players that results in Azteca are possible, they can certainly point to this gutsy effort.
July 1, 2001
If there's a cautionary tale for the U.S. team, this game during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup final is it. The Mexican team, coached by Javier Aguirre (that name should ring a bell), outshot its opponent 14-4 in a game that wasn't as close as the scoreline would indicate. Bob Bradley's team has shown a disturbing inability to show up to matches on occasion -- hey, hey Costa Rica -- and desperately needs to avoid coming out flat Wednesday night. (Ironically, El Tri could have helped the U.S. qualify for Japan/South Korea as the team defeated Honduras, the eventual fourth place finisher, on the last matchday. The Americans didn't need the assist though, as they managed a tie against Trinidad and Tobago to see them through to the next summer's international tournament.)
March 27, 2005
Mexico scored two goals in the first five minutes and hung on to defeat the United States, which started Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu, and Steve Cherundolo, 2-1 in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The lone American goal proved vital, however, as it helped the Americans earn first place in the Hexagonal on goal differential after they tied in points with their neighbors to the South.
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com
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