The U.S. men's national team hasn't played in Mexico since 1984 and they have never won there so needless to say, they will have their hands full on Wednesday (8 p.m., ET; ESPN2, ESPN3.com) at Estadio Azteca.
Making things much more difficult (if possible) is the fact that many of its brightest stars (Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, etc.) won't make the trip since their club seasons in Europe are just getting underway. I have no clue why this important friendly was scheduled now but there is no use fretting about that at this point.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring this group together and challenge Mexico for a win,” said Klinsmann in a press release. “For every game, we always look at who is in the best form, who is fit and who is ready to go. We have a lot of veteran players and also some new, hungry guys who deserve a chance. Every player in the pool looks forward to an amazing opportunity like this, the chance to take on Mexico in such an historic stadium like Estadio Azteca. With the World Cup qualifiers coming up next month, we can start preparing these players mentally and physically for Jamaica.”
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steven Beithasour (San Jose Earthquakes), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)
MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
There are nine players currently competing in MLS and on top of that, the twist that a whopping six Americans are employed by Mexican clubs. Eight U.S. players were on the roster last time these rivals met on August 10, 2011 in Philadelphia (a 1-1 tie that was Klinsmann's debut). Besler and Beithasour are the two guys that are seeking their first caps with the U.S.
With such a young and inexperienced group, Klinsmann will count on Howard, Beasley, Edu, Jones, Donovan and Gomez to provide even more leadership than normal. In terms of guys that should step up more, be sure to pay attention to how Cameron, Johnson, Torres, Williams and Boyd perform on Wednesday. They have already played for the U.S. and they are on the fringe when the squad is at full strength therefore they'll need to prove their worth when they have bigger roles.
Here is Mexico's roster
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio, France), Alefredo Talavera (Toluca)
Defenders: Francisco Javier Rodriguez (Stuttgart, Germany), Hector Moreno (Espanyol), Severo Meza (Monterrey), Hugo Ayala (UANL Tigres), Jorge Torres Nilo (UANL Tigres), Enrique Perez (Morelia), Adrian Aldrete (Club America)
Midfielders: Jesus Zavala (Monterrey), Manuel Viniegra (UANL Tigres), Edgar Gerardo Lugo (Santos Laguna), Pablo Barrera (Cruz Azul), Andres Guardado (Valencia, Spain), Angel Reyna (Monterrey)
Forwards: Elias Hernandez (UANL Tigres), Aldo de Nigris (Monterrey), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United, England)
Striker Giovani Dos Santos and defender Carlos Salcido, two of Mexico's best players, won't be there since they played for their country at the recently completed London Olympics. Still, with Guardado and especially Chicarito (the best player on either team), it's clear that Mexico isn't using this exhibition just to evaluate its younger players. They always want to beat their most bitter rival.
Any kind of positive result for the U.S., a tie or at least a competitive game would give them some real momentum heading into their 2014 World Cup qualifying games in September with Jamaica (Sept. 7 in Kingston; Sept. 11 in Columbus, Ohio).
UPDATE 8/13: The U.S. added San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon to the roster so they now are carrying 23 players. He would also be seeking his first cap.
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