August 7, 2009
THE FIRST EVER MUST-WIN:
Nothing would prove US soccer has arrived like beating Mexico at the Azteca (JIM LITKE, 8/06/09, AP)
It's called Azteca Stadium, imposingly perched atop volcanic rock 7,400 feet above sea level, which is only one reason why it might be the toughest road game in all of sports. Throw in smothering smog, withering heat, 100,000-plus wildly partisan fans and a host desperate for a World Cup qualifying win — and what you've got is the perfect time and place for the U.S. team to demonstrate it's finally serious about soccer.U.S. fans have been waiting decades for just such a development and by almost any measure, the sport has never been more popular here. They've proven they'll pay good money to watch foreigners play topflight soccer, packing stadiums from Seattle to Foxborough, Mass., to see world-class clubs like Chelsea, Barcelona and AC Milan play each other and even teams from Major League Soccer.
They lingered in front of TV sets in record numbers to watch the U.S. team recover from a bumbling start at the Confederations Cup and throw a scare into mighty Brazil right up until the final whistle. Then they stuck around to see a "B'' squad of their countrymen carve a path all the way to the finals of the Gold Cup.
All that momentum won't mean much, however, if the U.S. team gets beat next Wednesday at the Azteca. The Americans may have clawed their way to the No. 12 ranking in the world, but you can't honestly call yourself a big dog on the international scene unless you rule in your own backyard.
A loss would have to be considered a choke.
MORE:
This looks to be the best team Coach Bradley could select, but begs one obvious question: why didn't he play Jose Francisco Torres in either the Confederations Cup or Gold Cup?