OT - USMNT v Mexico in Columbus
There will be soccer played tonight in the heartland of Ohio. A very desperate Mexico team, sporting 8 points in qualifying will come play the good guys. What was once unfathomable - a Mexico squad not qualifying for the World Cup - is now on the table, as Costa Rica, US, and Honduras are ahead of the team, with Panama only 1 point behind. Mexico will be desperate and the U.S. will be lacking it's best player, Mr. Bradley. The atmosphere should be electric...positively "Seattle-like". If only they had let me win the lottery for tickets - not that I am bitter.... (ok I'm bitter).
September 10th, 2013 at 6:28 PM ^
Has anyone told you that you contribute nothing to this board? If not, let me be the first.
September 10th, 2013 at 7:16 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 7:36 PM ^
I prefer participating in threads, as you will see I've done if you read down, rather than downvoting them and posting a "yay" simply because I'm too much of a man to enjoy soccer, as Wolverines Dominate seems to be. You seem to have a lot of anger.
September 10th, 2013 at 7:50 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 8:02 PM ^
Butterfield has a point. That guy posts really dumb stuff all the time.
Also he downvoted this thread, which means he hates soccer or loves baseball. He didn't need to add his sarcastic post.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:05 PM ^
"Can't we all just get along?" - R. King.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 6:32 PM ^
qualified yet?
September 10th, 2013 at 6:34 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 11:26 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 6:35 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^
I could be coaching mexico and it would be a good game. This is only behind 1. OSU-UM 2. Purdue-Notre Dame 3. Yankees-Bosox 4. Lakers-Celtics in global importance. Ahem.
September 10th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^
tend to have a dislike for Columbus, it has really been our defacto home field for soccer over the last decade. It has turned into the best place we can bring a team in and know we will have full support of the crowd. Cant wait.
Also, I dont think Bradley is our best player... He is our best midfielder tho
September 10th, 2013 at 6:40 PM ^
A case could me made for Dempsey, Howard, Bradley, or even Donovan (5 years ago no question it was Landon) ... I think a central midfielder is the brain of your system and sets up all the organization so I am biased there. The way the US played last week without Bradley was.... telling.
September 10th, 2013 at 6:49 PM ^
Altidore has to be in that discussion now too I would think.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:26 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 6:43 PM ^
Question for the soccer peeps...What happens if Mexico loses?
What happens if the US loses?
I.e. what are the scenarios that each need to do to make it into the Would Cup?
September 10th, 2013 at 6:50 PM ^
10/09/13 19:00 | Kingston | Jamaica | Preview | Costa Rica | ||
10/09/13 19:00 | Tegucigalpa | Honduras | Preview | Panama | ||
10/09/13 20:06 | Columbus | USA | Preview | Mexico | ||
11/10/13 | TBA | Mexico | - | Panama | ||
11/10/13 | TBA | Honduras | - | Costa Rica | ||
11/10/13 | TBA | USA | - | Jamaica | ||
15/10/13 | TBA | Jamaica | - | Honduras | ||
15/10/13 | TBA | Panama | - | USA | ||
15/10/13 | TBA | Costa Rica | - | Mexico |
September 10th, 2013 at 8:48 PM ^
Ahh, good info/charts. Much appreciated.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:28 PM ^
Qbvbb
September 10th, 2013 at 6:51 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 6:55 PM ^
Just curious, who in Columbus Ohio approved a color of yellow that is strikingly close to Michigan's Maize for the Crew? Different sport, but it's still Columbus.
September 10th, 2013 at 6:55 PM ^
Northwest soccer is a big deal. They average twice as many in attendence than can fit in Columbus. Plus Columbus is a cesspool that produces cheaters and crooks.
September 10th, 2013 at 6:56 PM ^
I would love future games in Seattle or Portland. The Seattle crowd a few months ago was AWESOME.
September 10th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
I don't disagree that Seattle and/or Portland both have great soccer crowds, but you should check out this Jeff Carlisle (ESPN) article:
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/usnationalteam/id/630?cc=5901
Quick article summary is that they started playing in Columbus because:
1.They had a soccer only stadium that wasn't in an area where US fans could be out-numbered, like LA, especially 15 years ago when soccer wasn't as big
2. The US has a good history there, especially against Mexico, and just for the head games aspect, they might want to at least keep the US-Mexico games in Columbus
September 10th, 2013 at 7:01 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 7:04 PM ^
It seems like we play Mexico once a month.
September 10th, 2013 at 7:07 PM ^
See table at bottom third of page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_soccer_rivalry
September 10th, 2013 at 7:50 PM ^
Is there an advantage to finishing at the top of the hex. Do you get a more favorable path in the World Cup?
September 10th, 2013 at 7:58 PM ^
No it it is random draw once you qualify who you play. They create 4 team groups in the 1st round of the world cup and by definition usually Mexico or the U.S. get into what is called a "group of death" because they are (at least since the mid 90s) one of the better teams not in Europe or South America. So the way they generally do it is each group gets a European team, each group gets a South American team, and then they scatter teams from Concacaf (North/Central America), Asia, and Africa into the rest. I am simplyfing it but that is generally how it works... but it is completely random draw.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:02 PM ^
Sounds good. Thanks for the quick response.
Let's go USA..
September 10th, 2013 at 8:09 PM ^
But usn't there some sort of seeding? So at least you avoid 2 top tier teams (say Germany and Brazil) in the same group to start??
September 10th, 2013 at 8:11 PM ^
They go by geography more - i.e. the top european teams are split up, the top south american teams are split up. The FIFA "rankings" are generally garbage.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:13 PM ^
Well let me apologize to you - it appears in 2010 they actually did use the FIFA rankings more than in the past. Here is a wikipedia on how it worked. Sorry I didnt realize how they changed it a bit in 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding
September 10th, 2013 at 8:48 PM ^
No worries, they seem to change their system a lot anyway.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:07 PM ^
There are 4 raffle boxes as far as I know, in the first there are 8 teams considered "Head of group" wich are the local team, the last champion and the 6 best seeded teams by FIFA rankings, then the remaining teams are accomodated in the next 3 raffle boxes according to the rankings (next best 8 in the 2nd box and so on) and they draw one team out of each box to set up the 8 groups for the world cup. At least that's how it was done, now idk if it's only for the first raffle box.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:10 PM ^
Yes I really simplified it. Generally you have a top European team, a top South American team in each group and then overflow European teams, North America/Central, Asia, and Africa sprinkled in. The home country gets a lock and the past champion etc. It is too complicated for newbies to go farther than that lol
September 10th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
I really hate Mexico.
I don't know where they rank, but it would be close behind MSU.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:02 PM ^
Dear National Anthem Singers,
I get that this might be your 1:30 of fame, but if the crowd is belting its lungs out singing along, just go with them and sing it right.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:03 PM ^
Isn't there usually a delay with the mic and what is being pumped into the speakers?
September 10th, 2013 at 8:06 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 8:04 PM ^
I'm not sure about Bedoya getting the start.
I have a feeling we might struggle early without MB90.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:05 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 8:06 PM ^
Landon looks like he has a black eye
September 10th, 2013 at 8:06 PM ^
September 10th, 2013 at 8:13 PM ^
What the hell Beasley!!! Get it together man
September 10th, 2013 at 8:14 PM ^
Why was that not a hand ball? Beasley "kicked" to Howard, no?
September 10th, 2013 at 8:17 PM ^
It was inadvertant, so no handball