world cup qualifing

[Mavdog]

both the usa and mexico are in action tonight. costa rica has a cbamce to pull the upset.
I'm looking forward to the game sept 3 in columbus....
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17-Aug-2005 MEXICO CITY (Mexico) Mexico - Costa Rica 21:00
Referee: PINEDA Jose (HON)

17-Aug-2005 HARTFORD (USA) USA - Trinidad and Tobago 20:00
Referee: RODRIGUEZ Marco (MEX)

[Lonely PSU Mavs Fan]

I was glad the US won, though they should have scored at least 3 or 4 goals. I dont know if anyone else watched, but i was thoroughly disappointed with steve ralston. I thought everyone else played well, except him. Every time the ball went to him, he seemed to cough it up, and he did not do anything on offense, or defense for that matter. He should definitely not be in the world cup starting line-up. Did anyone else feel that way?

[Mavdog]

the t&t goalkeeper played very well, a second goal by twellman was taken off by a poor offsides call...all in all, they got the points.

don't recall ralston, was he subed in late?

[Lonely PSU Mavs Fan]

No, ralston played right midfield the whole game. Twellman's goal was definitely not offsides, but they got the win, which is all that matters.

[alby]

dont we play mexico sometime soon

[Mavdog]

sept 3 in columbus

[Mavdog]

time for some payback to our friends across the Rio Grande....
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U.S. Prepares for World Cup Qualifier By RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer

The U.S. national team had a light workout Monday in preparation for its World Cup qualifying match Saturday with Mexico — although team officials didn't release a roster for the game.

Coach Bruce Arena joked that he wanted to release the list of those on the team, but it was being delayed by press officers.

Asked if this was an added degree of gamesmanship, he said, "There's no point in releasing our roster when we have to get through games. We have players playing today. Once we get everyone through their games, then we're in a position to release a roster. I suspect that'll happen on Wednesday."

Even though the practice was open to the media, it was closed to the public, as are all U.S. team workouts. The match with Mexico will be played at Crew Stadium, home of the MLS' Columbus Crew.

Arena had a hand-printed roster that he checked twice while talking to reporters, making no attempt to hide it. An observer was told not to help reporters identify the players at the workout.

A mix of American veterans and several fresh faces were part of Monday's workout: Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Frankie Hejduk, Jeff Cunningham, Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, Greg Vanney, Pablo Mastroeni, Chad Marshall, Kasey Keller, Justin Mapp, Chris Armas, Oguchi Onyewu, Kerry Zavagnin, Claudio Reyna, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Lewis and Matt Reis.

Johnson, Mastroeni and Bocanegra were back with the team.

Johnson (turf toe) has not played in a qualifier since March. Bocanegra injured a knee during preseason training with Fulham, and Mastroeni sprained an ankle during the CONCACAF Gold Cup last month.

DaMarcus Beasley (hamstring), who played his first game of the season in the Netherlands on Sunday, was due in later Monday.

The United States can clinch a spot among the 32 national teams in next year's World Cup in Germany with one more win in its three remaining qualifying matches. Mexico (5-0-1) leads the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region with 16 points, one more than the United States (5-1-0). Guatemala and Costa Rica (both 2-3-1) are at seven points, following by Trinidad and Tobago (1-4-1) with four and Panama (0-4-2) with two.

The top three teams qualify and the No. 4 nation goes to a playoff against Bahrain or Uzbekistan for another berth.

U.S. forward Brian McBride said the current team's approach is somewhat different from those in the past.

"It's about growth, definitely," he said. "We have a deeper squad. Probably the best thing and the biggest difference is that everybody really knows their job when they come in. Even though in the past we've actually changed our formation and made some modifications that we didn't do in 2002 for qualifying, it's paid off. The guys have grasped it and Bruce has put forward a plan for each game."

Arena said there was little out of the ordinary about the week leading up to the showdown with Mexico.

"This is very typical," he said. "It's nice having the first one at home. It's nice having this game in Columbus, a very important game that we know three points secures our trip to Germany. That's certainly what we want to be looking for."

Arena said clinching a World Cup berth on Saturday night would be the best he could hope for.

"Obviously, the sooner the better," he said. "But if it takes 10 games, it takes 10 games. We'll just see."

[mnmpeanut]

have they announced if the us - mexico game will be televised on saturday? the last i saw they didn't have a station carrying it.

[Lonely PSU Mavs Fan]

I thought during the last game against T&T i saw in the ticker at the bottom of the screen that the game would be on ESPN or ESPN2 sometime saturday night. i could be mistaken though.

[Mavdog]

I believe ESPN2 will do a tape delay in the middle of the night Sunday, Telemundo is doing the live TV broadcast at 6:30.

[Drbio]

USA BITCHSLAPS mexico. Qualifies for World Cup.


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Qualifying for the World Cup is sweet. Doing it against your archrival is nirvana.

The United States is headed to next year's soccer championship in Germany after beating Mexico 2-0 Saturday night thanks to goals by Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley five minutes apart in the second half.

The quick strikes, after a sloppy and chippy first half, lifted the Americans into the 32-team tournament with three games to spare. It was the first time since 1934 that the Americans were the first team into the World Cup for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

It's also the fifth straight World Cup appearance for the Americans, who are ranked sixth in the world, one spot behind Mexico -- for now.

The win avenged a 2-1 loss in Mexico City in March and gave American goalkeeper Kasey Keller his 50th career victory for the national team. The United States has not lost to Mexico on American soil since 1999, and has not yielded any goals in that span, either.

On both U.S. scores, Mexico seemed confused who should be where on set plays. Eddie Lewis' floating free kick was headed by Oguchi Onyewu, whose 6-foot-4 height came in handy as he soared over the smallish, befuddled defense. His shot hit the goalpost and bounded into the air directly to the unguarded Ralston for his second career international goal.

That woke up the flag-waving, red-white-and-blue clad American fans, who began pounding the bleachers with their feet. The noise seemed to further unnerve the visitors, and they were out of position on a short U.S. corner kick.

The ball came to Claudio Reyna and the unmarked U.S. captain fed an equally wide-open Beasley. His twisting left-footed kick soared over goalie Oswaldo Sanchez, who had no chance.

From there, it was a matter of getting another shutout for Keller, who now has blanked five straight opponents in qualifying and has a scoreless streak of 507 minutes in all. The Americans are 6-1 in the final qualifying round and play at Guatemala on Wednesday, when most of the regulars will be excused.

Mexico (5-1-1) still needs another point in its final three games to make Germany 2006.

At the final whistle, most of the 24,685 fans chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A!" as several players ran off the bench wrapped in U.S. flags. All of the Americans were handed flags, which they then draped on their shoulders or waved to the crowd as fireworks lit the sky.

The strong U.S. showing in the second half helped ease the ugliness of the first 45 minutes, in which neither team truly threatened until the final minute. Keller needed to make a diving hand save on Ramon Morales' free kick in injury time.

Otherwise, the visitors seemed satisfied to keep the scoreboard empty -- and to keep fouling midfielder Beasley, who was victimized four times in the half, five times overall.

In turn, U.S. defender Frankie Hejduk committed four fouls in the opening 45 minutes.

Reyna drew a first-half yellow card, meaning he will be suspended for Wednesday night's game at Guatemala, which is insignificant -- with the Americans already qualified, Reyna will head back to Manchester City in England. U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter also drew a yellow and is in the same situation.

Mexico's Duilio Davino's yellow card means he will be out for Wednesday's home game against with Panama.

[alby]

USA BITCHSLAPS mexico. Qualifies for World Cup.

word

[Member]

Awesome for the US. WTG nati's

[Dirkfanatic]

I Hope Next Time Mexico kicks the US's Butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dirkfanatic]

I Hope Next Time Mexico kicks the US's Butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dirkfanatic]

I Hope Next Time Mexico kicks the US's Butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Drbio]

I hope next time you post you are (A) not as ignorant as the last time and (B) able to figure out how to hit the submit button only once.


duh!