USA-Mexico Friendly 3.4

[Guest GoDizzGo]

Kickoff: 2200 Eastern Standard USA time (NOTE: some places have listed a 1700 EST kickoff time) Place: Invesco Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado (note:p layed as part of a double header, Colorado Rapids-D.C. United will play at 19:30EST) Odds: 2.10 3.10 3.00 (WH) MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Midfielder Braulio Luna, a rising star in Mexican soccer, will replace injured Ramon Morales on the national team for Wednesday's exhibition match with the United States. Morales injured his knee Sunday in a club game. ``I have to take advantage of the opportunity I have been given,'' said Luna, who has scored seven goals in just 12 games in Mexico's national tournament. ``If I can play against the United States I can do anything.'' Luna last played for the national team last June when Honduras shocked Mexico 3-1 in a World Cup-qualifying match. ... Other players Aguirre selected for the Denver game are goalkeepers Jorge Campos and Oscar Perez; defenders Manuel Vidrio, Claudio Suarez, Heriberto Morales, Melvin Brown, Alberto Rodriguez and Javier Saavedra; midfielders Gabriel Caballero, Sigifredo Mercado, German Villa, Alberto Garcia Aspe and Joahan Rodriguez; and forwards Daniel Osorno, Carlos Ochoa, Jesus Mendoza and Adolfo Bautista. USA back home to take on Mexico in World Cup preparation By Jamie Trecker SportsTicker Contributing Editor DENVER (Ticker) -- Many members of the United States men's soccer team on Wednesday will get their penultimate chance to convince coach Bruce Arena that they belong on the World Cup roster. That's when the largely MLS-based United States squad takes on Mexico at Invesco Stadium in a World Cup preparatory match. Slated for a 10 p.m. EST kickoff EST, the game is the last chance for bubble players such as Eddie Pope, Ante Razov and Frankie Hejduk. Arena is slated to announce his World Cup roster following the April 17 match against Ireland. The U.S. is coming off a sound thrashing by Germany, 4-2, in Rostock, a game that could easily have broken into the double digits for the three-time World Cup champion Germans. Despite fielding what was the closest thing to a full-strength side, the Americans were repeatedly exposed in the back, with goalkeeper Kasey Keller called upon yet again to make save after save. It is a problem for which the U.S. has few solutions. Arena hopes Greg Vanney and Pablo Mastroeni will be able to bring some badly needed form and speed to what is a leaky defense. Hard questions also must be asked about the oft-injured Eddie Pope and the painfully slow Carlos Llamosa. Arena has affection for both players, but they are huge liabilities. Pope was badly beaten in Germany, and Llamosa has seemed like he's stuck in tar every time he has suited up this year. Hejduk, despite good speed, remains an irrational presence on the field. At forward, this is clearly the last chances for Josh Wolff and Razov to make the team. Neither has impressed. Razov surely hurt his case with an atrocious performance against DC United with his Chicago club side this past Saturday. Clint Mathis, who got the lone two goals in Germany is a lock, as is Brian McBride. The other odd man out is Everton's Joe-Max Moore, who likely has seen the last of his action in an American uniform following another sub-par game last week. Finally, will Tim Howard or Tony Meola grab the last goalkeeper slot for the Cup? Howard clearly is the rising star, but Meola, on any given day, remains one of the country's best in the nets. On a guess, the edge would go to Meola, but second-guessing Arena is always a challenge. Mexico is bringing an interestingly mixed team that contains some old stalwarts in Jorge Campos, the ageless Claudio Suarez and Alberto Garcia Aspe, and promising up-and-comers Braulio Luna, who has been one of the best Mexican players in the league so far this season. The game should provide a good neutral test for the Americans as Mexico will be hampered by the lack of the home support they usually enjoy in the U.S. and the colder weather. The game will be broadcast live in the U.S. on the Spanish-language channel Telemundo.

[Guest GoDizzGo]

opinion First, the venue might not be so neutral as the state of Colorado has a large number of Mexican immigrants. For example, late last year the coach of the NBA team singled out a Mexican-American heckler by making a point of his ethnicity. The local Mexican-American leaders took great offense and essentially contributed greatly to geting him fired. So there might very well be a sizable contingent rooting for the Mexican squad. Second, persons from both squads will be vying for the last spots for the teams going to the WC finals. The draw looks to be the pick.

[Guest GoDizzGo]

Mexico was the home team excerpts from the AP account of the USA-Mexico friendly which ended 1-0: ... "Small pockets of U.S. fans, overwhelmed by the large contingent of Mexico supporters most of the night, rose to their feet and waved U.S. flags after the goal." ... "A crowd of 48,476 attended the United States' first full international game in Denver since 1992, but many were there to support Mexico. Many fans wore the jerseys of their favorite Mexico League teams, some had on large sombreros and others painted their faces with the colors of the Mexican flag. The stadium shook as fans stomped and did the wave as the Colorado Rapids and D.C. United opened the doubleheader with an MLS game. Thousands of red, white and green flags waved throughout the stadium when Mexico took the field for warmups, and several chants of "Mexico! Mexico!" rang out during the game. A few fights broke out in the stands and fans threw food, plastic bottles and rolls of toilet paper on the field after Luna received a yellow card for a hard tackle on Hejduk." Suffice to say that there will no longer be another WCQ played in Denver in the near future.

[Guest Justin O]

not a WCQ but... Well, the last World Cup qualifier vs Mexico was before an overwhelmingly pro-USA crowd of 20,000+ in Columbus, Ohio. As for friendlies, you better believe the US will play in cities with big Mexican populations. The US Soccer Federation will gladly pocket the money of any Mexican fans who want to see Mexico play.