US Soccer coach Jürgen Klinsmann addresses members of the media after his side’s 3-2 loss to Mexico at the Rose Bowl. David McDonald/The Pit
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]erhaps at no point in the tenure of head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has the spotlight shinned more harshly on US Men’s Soccer than it did this past Saturday in Pasadena.
The side found themselves in an unusual position coming into a critical match against longtime rivals in Mexico: playing as the underdogs. The situation saw Klinsmann met with a severe degree of scrutiny; including many high profile figures in US Soccer calling for his job if this team left the Rose Bowl with a loss.
To make matters more challenging, the US Men’s National Team found themselves playing to a largely Mexico favoring crowd on their home soil. And to the dismay of many, Brad Guzan started at goal keeper for the side in place of Tim Howard.
So how did it all play out in a match that would determine the winner of the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
Ultimately, what fans witnessed was a fiercely competitive contest that saw both sides mount multiple comebacks.
In the early goings, it was Mexico finding their offense and making their way into the box with relative ease; ultimately leading to a goal from Chicharito in the 10’ minute off of a blown formation by the US.
However, it did not take long for the home side to respond in kind. The US found their offense in a hurry after going down 0-1, leading to a serve from the wing by team captain Michael Bradley. The formation at the line was more than ready, and it yielded a beautiful header from Geoff Cameron off the ball from Bradley to tie this game 1-1 in the 15’ minute.
Though many may have doubted him coming into a game of this magnitude, keeper Brad Guzan was truly sensational throughout this match. As Mexico continued to find their way into the US box often in the first half, Guzan’s aggressive style of play saved multiple shots that were quite literally fractions of fractions of a second away from finding the goal.
At one point, Mexico found themselves offside as Oribe Peralta attempted to drive in a goal, which Guzan blocked right at the point of attack. The ensuing confrontation saw the sides nearly come to blows as we approached the end of the first half.
After forty-five minutes of play, it remained a 1-1 game.
Surprisingly, even with an equally frantic pace, the second half of play didn’t yield a goal for either side. As Guzan continued to prove his worth at the keeper position for the US, it was Moises Munoz stepping up for Mexico and stopping many promising looks on offense from the Americans.
Mexico also played very tight on defense inside their own box, leaving the US with very little room to operate. This match also remained incredibly physical throughout.
A play on an inbound ball lead to a head to head collision between Jermaine Jones and Paul Aguilar, and Hector Moreno made as gutsy a play for the ball as you’ll see all year on a pass between the US side. In the final moments of regular time, Jozy Altidore finds the ball in the box of Mexico with one man to beat, but ultimate passes it off to Bradley, who shoots wide.
At the end of regular time, the score remains tied.
Mexico started extra time on the offensive, with Peralta leading the charge. Early on in the first period he sees a goal called off because of an offside, but mere minutes later drives in the go ahead goal on a pass from Aguilar.
The US offense was starting to show signs of fatigue, and now found themselves down 2-1 against a younger side at the end of the first period of extra time. Ultimately the US would need to rely on their young stars in DeAndre Yedlin and Bobby Wood to keep them in this game, and three minutes into the second period of extra time, it’s Wood who drives in an equalizer of a slick pass from Yedlin.
However, it would not be enough. With two minutes left before this game would have gone to penalty kicks, it’s Paul Aguilar who drives in a remarkable, in-air strike past Guzan to give Mexico the 3-2 lead.
Not enough time or gas left in the tank for the US to recover; they would ultimately fall to the fresher, and more dominant side throughout in Mexico.
The loss comes not from a lack of spirt or tenacity on the part of the US National Team, but rather a roster that is frankly lacking in youth and speed.
Klinsmann’s leadership might not come under question to the degree that many expected coming into this match, but his ability to properly manage and develop this team in a manner that will allow them to be a force on the world’s stage already has.
