US-Mexico pre/during/post game [R]

[clavs]

Let's keep US-Mexico specific discussion here. This humble mod will be at the match, but if anyone wants to do a pbp, be our guest. Just keep things civil, por favor :)

[FearM9]

Here is a preview of the USWNT from the CONCACAF site:

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1030

Here is a preview on Mexico...

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1027

WOMEN WHO MATTER

Linnea QUINOÑES (22, San Jose CyberRays): Reserve ‘keeper at club level with San Jose, has been first-choice for Mexico for five years, including playing all three matches in 1999 Women’s World Cup. Graduated from San Diego State in 2001.

Monica GERARDO (26, Washington Freedom): Gritty, tough, hardworking striker or attacking midfielder, she has scored five goals in two seasons for Washington Freedom. One of five Mexican internationals in the WUSA, all U.S. born. Played in 1999 Women’s World Cup while still at University of Notre Dame, anchoring the heart of midfield.

Maribel DOMINGUEZ (23, Kansas City Mystics): An exceptionally speedy, diminutive goalscorer with a tremendous strike rate. Led the W-League (U.S. second division) in goalscoring in 2002 for Kansas City Mystics with 15 goals in 11 matches. Scored five goals in the 2000 Women’s Gold Cup after scoring eight in the 1998 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

Iris MORA (21, UCLA): Has burst onto the scene this year at UCLA, her freshman season. Scored six goals in the 2000 Women’s Gold Cup, including four v Guatemala. Another small (5-foot-2), quicksilver attacker.

Monica GONZALEZ (24, Boston Breakers): Central defender who, after finishing her career at University of Notre Dame, signed with Boston Breakers for 2002 WUSA season, where she made 12 appearances.

[Charge!]

Originally posted by clavs
Let's keep US-Mexico specific discussion here. This humble mod will be at the match, but if anyone wants to do a pbp, be our guest. Just keep things civil, por favor :)

Mexico. Midgy.

Civil enough for youse?? :p

Paul

[lasoccervegas2002]

USA playing with one eye is still winning the match and the tournament, this is just a warm up for the world cup.

[UP90]

I'm afraid there's not much to analyse about any of these games (other than Canada) unless USA loses.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Any official source on who is going to be the US GK against Mexico in tonight's opening qualification game?

Briana or Siri?

[FearM9]

Mexico v USWNT PBP thread located here:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=21216

For some of you extremely anal types (we know who THEY are)...my PBP threads tend to be very light hearted and PTH-ish and completely devoid of any real soccer talk :D. If that ain't your cup o' tea there is always MatchTracker at www.USSoccer.com or you can start your own PBP. Deal with it chodes.

I'll also be updating throughout the Panama v Trinidad & Tobago match here:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=21193

[Freestyle2000]

2-0 to the good, 90th.

This game has just sucked. Seemed really flat to me.

Mexico keeper is playing well, but US really likes to kick it right at her.

RS

[FearM9]

Last minute goal by Mac puts the US up 3-0 over Mexico. Not the most entertaining match I have seen in recent times. Gonna be interesting to see how the USWNT matches up against a scrappy Panama.

Goals by Wagner in the 5th, Parlow somewhere in there, and Mac in stoppage time.

Apparently Beene was a last minute replacement on the squad cuz something happened to Siri's thumb or hand or something like that.

[UP90]

Never thought I'd say this but...I miss Wendy G! We got zero analysis from Milburn, about 2 seconds to look at the lineup, no inside info on substitutions. Hucles and Mac played well when they came on. Kate and Lilly looked good ,but overall USA lacked some enthusiasm.

[FearM9]

Post match article from Yahoo! Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sow/news/ap/20021027/ap-womensgoldcup.html

Attendance was 5,568

[Heeligan2]

wow. They really need to replace Milburne.

[DCUPopeAndLillyFan]

Wow - what an awful thing to watch all around! The fact TOTC and I were doing crossword puzzles during the second half pretty much says it all. I regretted not watching the first match and Panama's wunderkid instead.

And we thought Milburn couldn't possibly suck more at anything than playing soccer. FSW seriously must be wondering what on earth they were thinking giving her money to sit in the booth and say virtually NOTHING! Of course, Freedom fans have wondered why the team pays her to be on the field and do nothing for some time now... Allen Hopkins wasn't exactly all that himself, but at least he made the effort. He had to stick Milburn with a cattle brand once in awhile just to get her to say ANYTHING, and even then it ended up just being a giggle half the time. Please, PLEASE find someone else in time for Tuesday FSW!

Both teams were awful by their own standards - 'bout sums that up. Sorry to see the US get a third - would have been funny to see Panama leading the group.

Attendance was awful - 5,500 and probably half were there to support Mexico. Why did they play this in the Rose Bowl?

[FearM9]

From the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28336-2002Oct27.html

Full report on the WUSA site:

http://www.wusa.com/press_room/329018.html

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT
Participants: USA vs. Mexico
Competition: 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup
Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament
Venue: Rose Bowl - Pasadena, Calif.
Date: Oct. 27, 2002; Kickoff - 3:00 p.m. (PT)
Attendance: 5,568
Weather: Cool, cloudy- 68 degrees


USA - Aly Wagner (Kristine Lilly) 5th minute.
USA - Cindy Parlow (Mia Hamm) 42.
USA - Shannon MacMillan (Kristine LillY) 93+.


Lineups: USA: 1-Briana Scurry; 15-Kate Sobrero, 6-Brandi Chastain, 14-Joy Fawcett, 4-Cat Reddick; 5-Tiffany Roberts (3-Angela Hucles, 46), 13-Kristine Lilly, 11-Julie Foudy - C, 10-Aly Wagner, 9-Mia Hamm (7-Heather O'Reilly, 78), 12-Cindy Parlow (8-Shannon MacMillan, 63). Subs not used: 2-Lorrie Fair, 16-Tiffeny Milbrett, 17-Jenny Benson, 18-LaKeysia Beene.

MEX: 1-Jennifer Molina, 2-Martha Moore, 3-Monica Gonzales, 12-Susana Mora (16-Guadalupe Worbis, 75), 4-Elizabeth Gomez, 6-Fatima Leyva, 7-Dioselina Valderrama, 11-Paty Perez, 8-Monica Gerardo (5-Monica Vergara, 68), 9-Maribel Dominguez, 10-Iris Mora (17-Yanet Antunez, 46). Subs Not Used: 13-Jessica Romero, 15-Janeth Siordia, 18-Pamela Tajonar.

Misconduct Summary:
MEX - Valderrama (caution) 73rd minute.


Officials: Referee: Sonia Denoncourt (CAN)
Asst. Referee: Jackeline Saez (PAN)
Asst. Referee: Paulette Riley (JAM)
4th Official: Dianne Ferreira-James (GUY)

[mingyung]

Let me echo what has been said about Milburn being a woeful commentator.

The game was ugly. It was not a match, however, where any of the players played themselves off the team. Everyone was competent; Lilly, in particular, was a bright spot. The first half was the more organized one and the US dominated possession. The second was simply horrible to watch. It was almost like watching the Panama/T&T match but in fast forward. Balls veing sprayed out of bounds, to opposing players, to noone, etc. The US was flat and they were lucky that Mexico seemed uninterested in scoring (except from the determined Domniguez). If the US plays like this against Canada, and they probably won't, they will be in trouble.

I wonder whether Wagner's fitness is an issue. Noone denies her talent but in the second half she was basically dead weight and I thought Heinrichs would have done better to sub her out. Why not have had Hamm move to the top of the midfield and have replaced Wagner with a forward?

I have not been impressed by MacMillan lately although we all know how explosive she can be. In fact, I thought Hucles more of the attacking threat today. Hucles did badly as the attacking mid during the Nike Cup but today, on the right, she was a bright spot in the second half (except defensively where Roberts is better than her).

Foudy did fine although towards the end of the match she was being triple-teamed and dispossessed (this was partly due to Wagner's lack of movement).

The backline was also okay although they do show vulnerability. Fawcett was fast enough to cover for any lapses today.

Basically the team was good enough to win but nothing inspired. There won't be a test until Canada.

mingyung

[ssanchez]

I rarely post here but my impression of the game is that coach heindrick (spelling?) has the team playing defensively. when the other team has the ball even the forwards fall back. The flare, style, and quickness that the team showed with dichico (spelling) is gone. With the talent pool we have the US should go back to playing like the mens brazilian team. attack open game with many chances and flury of brilliance. we have the players why not let them do it. Seems like a waste of talent.

[FearM9]

From the 10/28 LA Times:

DeMera Lifts Panama; U.S. Shuts Out Mexico (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-womsoccer28oct28,0,7925243.column?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dsports)

From the Pasadena Star News:

U.S. team lackluster in victory (http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206%257E11842%257E953292,00.html)
By Fred J. Robledo , Staff Writer

[SomebodyOrOther]

Originally posted by DCUPopeAndLillyFan
Attendance was awful - 5,500 and probably half were there to support Mexico. Why did they play this in the Rose Bowl? Four words:

WORLD SERIES GAME SEVEN

It's nothing they could have predicted when they scheduled this game for the Rose Bowl (L.A. area) on that date.

Even I skipped attending the Gold Cup (I intended to purchase walk-up tickets, as did most of my friends who thought they might go) to be able to catch the beginning of the Angel game on TV. World Series = world championships (well, at least we Americans think so! ;) ). Gold Cup = world championship qualifying in which the U.S. is heavily favored. Its a no-brainer which game was more important within the scope of its own sport. The Gold Cup game was televised, too, so with potential for overlap with Angels game why not stay home, throw a party with some friends, and catch both? Most of my L.A.-area soccer-fan friends did just that.

It may not mean anything to anyone who's not a local, but the Angels winning the World Series is a bit like space aliens landing to the people of the LA/Orange County area--it's not something they ever expected to see (42 years of never even going to the World Series...didn't even made the playoffs since 1986). Even locals who are not baseball fans were caught up in the drama of this World Series.

As for the game at Fullerton this coming week....Fullerton on a weeknight? You're got to be kidding me! Expect attendance for that one to suck. Anyone who's ever lived in the L.A. Metro area can tell you that was a bad idea.


And now, about the game:

Can anyone please explain to me WHY Tiff Milbrett didn't play in this one? We didn't "need" her, but I think Tiff Milbrett sitting on the bench the entire game (assuming she's healthy) is a really stupid idea no matter how you slice it.

[UP90]

I read somewhere that she has been suffering with a hip flexor. If it's still bothering her maybe A.H. won't play her unless we're up against it.

[FearM9]

Originally posted by UP90
I read somewhere that she has been suffering with a hip flexor. If it's still bothering her maybe A.H. won't play her unless we're up against it.

She didn't play in the Power v Carolina exhibition game cuz of it....

http://www.wusa.com/press_room/328449.html

The Power’s Tiffeny Milbrett, who was resting a hip flexor