If you are wondering why there is such a sense of tangible panic reverberating through US national team fan circles right now, it is because, for the first time in more than a dozen years, American fans have to accept the fact that Mexico is the best team in the region.
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Beasley almost gifted Mexico the go-ahead goal in the first minute of the second half after he mishandled a ball in front of his own goal, but Guzan came up to make the save before Mexico could take the clear shot. But does it mean American fans should worry? It was very, very, very pro-Mexican.
With a high-energy game tied 1-1 at half-time and also after full time on an unseasonably hot evening, forward Oribe Peralta broke the deadlock in the 96th minute with a powerful right-footed shot off a low cross from defender Paul Aguilar. Klinsmann’s senior team has won only one of its last five games and is coming off its worst Gold Cup performance in 15 years.
With little evident progress since last year’s World Cup, coach Jurgen Klinsmann realizes he is facing concerns about his program’s direction and his ability to change it, even though U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati says the German’s job is safe.
Never mind the end of Klinsmann’s unbeaten record against Mexico, this game marked a fascinating evolution of the Mexico v United States of America rivalry – returning to the scene of Mexico’s Gold Cup triumph of 2011, but with a very different spectacle. “That is totally fine”. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially considering it represented the most proven players the US had available. “It’s a privilege for me to do my best to my capabilities and to leave the judgment out there for people who want to express themselves”. Klinsmann bears blame for the current plight in his dual role as coach and technical director, though the overall results during his tenure justify his continued employment.
Saturday was a double downer for the United States: A few hours earlier, the under-23 team lost 2-0 to Honduras, putting the American men in danger of failing to qualify for its second straight Olympics. The youngsters must beat Canada on Tuesday and then win a playoff with Colombia just to make the Rio field.
Jurgen Klinsmann had no answers for a Mexico team playing with a caretaker boss.
The thrilling loss on a memorable Southern California night exemplified several deficiencies.
Obviously, this hindered their offensive ability, meaning their two forwards, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, didn’t get many chances to touch the ball.
The victory capped a remarkable temporary stint as Mexico manager by Ricardo Ferretti, who took the job on a temporary, unpaid basis following the sacking Miguel Herrera in July. Bradley was clinical about the Americans’ problems.
In stoppage time Mexico appealed for a penalty when they believed Matt Besler handled the ball in the box, but the referee waved play on. Optimistic projections from inside US Soccer prior to the match suggested that as much as 40% of the crowd would be in red, white, and blue, on its home turf. We do need to more openly put tangible pressure on the team to win when it matters. Conceding possession is a perfectly respectable strategy if you can counterattack, but the United States was unable to get anything going the other way at all – Klinsmann’s side created just one chance inside the 18-yard box between the end of the first half and Wood’s equalizer at 110 minutes.
Klinsmann and his players can not afford to ruminate on these grand issues for too long with a friendly ahead against Costa Rica on Tuesday and a pair of World Cup qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Nov. 13 in St. Louis) and Trinidad and Tobago (Nov. 17).
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“There’s no reason to cut the cord with any of these guys”.
