Mexico Tops US in World Cup Qualifier 2-1

The US men's soccer team has had a good run against Mexico since 2000. Their record is 10 wins, 4 losses and two draws. Yet there remains a single place where the Yanks have never beaten the Mexicans ? Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Yesterday, the Americans had another go a breaking the Aztec curse, and they failed yet again by a score of 2-1. At Azteca, the US now has a dismal record of no wins, 23 losses and a single draw.

Azteca Stadium is a scary place for the visiting side. With a capacity of 105,000, it is the fifth largest stadium on the planet. On any given game day, the noise is astounding, and the red, white and green banners can be distracting. Moreover, Mexico City is about 2,250 meters (7,400 feet) above sea level. That means the air is thin, and with millions of cars in the city, the air is dirty as well. The Mexican side is used to these conditions, while the visitors aren't.

Because medical experts say it takes a good 10 days to adapt to the altitude (and that's really not a complete adaptation) and because the players have commitments to their league teams, the US opted for the second best approach. The American showed up the day before to limit exposure to the conditions. Additionally, they caught a few breaks. On game day, the sky was clear, with little smog, and it wasn't as hot as it could be.

At first, the late arrival strategy seemed to pay dividends. Nine minutes into the World Cup qualifier, Landon Donovan found Charlie Davies about 11 meters out, and Mr. Davies' right foot took the ball into the back of the net. US 1 Mexico 0. Yet, 10 minutes later Israel Castro blasted a 30 meter shot off the crossbar and past American goalkeeper Tim Howard. At the half, it was 1-1. In the 82nd minute, Miguel Sabah took a 10 meter shot that put paid to the American dream of winning at Azteca.

The Mexicans' hope to play in South Africa next year in the World Cup largely hinged on the outcome. They needed to win after a weak start to the tournament. The US, holding second place in the standings, didn't need the win anywhere near as badly. Still, it was an annoying loss for the US.

Xochipilli, the Aztec god of games (among other things) appears to be alive and well and looking after the Mexicans when they play at El Estadio Azteca.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Kensington Review Home