10 Things We Learned at the Azteca
Posted on August 17, 2012 12:32 am
Did you watch the USA beat Mexico 1-0 at the Azteca last night, after 75 years of trying? Have you stopped screaming “YEEEAAAASSSS!” yet? Because now it’s time to simmer down, wipe those last drops of yellow liquid off your shoulder and think about what we learned Wednesday night.
Listen to the latest Total Soccer Show below to find out:
Or, if your ears can’t take that much awesome, read it in list format below:
1. It’s just a big building. The Azteca we mean. It’s not magic. It’s just some concrete, some steel and a big rectangle of grass in the middle. Yeah, it’s got some serious altitude. But so does a Geoff Cameron defensive header. We now know that a US team can go there and win.
2. Brek Shea knows the way. If there was some sort of anti-American-win force field surrounding Mexican soccer stadiums, Brek Shea is the man who knows how to break through. The big blonde bombshell was on the field last year for a Major League Soccer team’s first win on Mexican soil (FC Dallas beat UNAM 1-0 last August) and he was on the field (and very much involved) for the US national team’s first win at the Azteca on Wednesday.
3. Juergen Klinsmann is a man with a tactical plan. We started out with basically a 4-5-1, clogging the middle (three defensive mids! five if you count Cameron and Edu!) and forcing Mexico to go wide. Then we slowly opened up as the minutes ticked by, culminating in a sort of 4-3-3 with Boyd flanked by genuine wingers Shea and Beasley.
4. Jurgen Klinsmann can not run for President of the United States. We checked.
5. Geoff Cameron should start in the USMNT’s central defense. He wasn’t perfect on Wednesday, but he looked imposing, heading balls away for fun and casually relieving Chicharito of the ball more than once. He’s 27, he’s got all he physical attributes (size, strength, speed, snazzy haircut), he’s all of a sudden got some serious international experience and he’s about to be a Premier League defender. If Boca’s the captain, then Cameron should be his partner when we visit Jamaica next month.
6. Tim Howard sees the Matrix. Those two saves in the last 10 minutes were phenomenal. Not just because of their importance, but because that first one, which was deflected off Edu, already had Howard going the wrong way. Normally that means goal, but Howard said to himself “there is no spoon,” slowed time down and stretched across goal to make the save.
7. Edgar Castillo = Not Terrible Yes, Guardado went by America’s latest comedy leftback with worrying ease, and there were a couple of other nervous moments. But Castillo did a good job of keeping Barrera quiet, and generally directing Mexican attackers to the outside, which–see number 3–was all part of the plan.
8. Kyle Beckerman started the move that earned one of the USA’s most historic wins. He did. Just saying.
9. Ian Darke is good at his job. Did anyone else hear him coin the phrase “floodlight robbery” last night?
10. It was only a friendly. Don’t tell us there’s “no such thing.” You’re being way too literal. Because if this was a WCQ game, then the atmosphere would have been more than a little bit different. So this win doesn’t suddenly mean we are hands down better than Mexico. We may never be, because we keep progressing and they keep progressing. Which is a good thing. Because no one wants to see a one-sided rivalry.
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What did you learn from the USA’s first win at the Azteca?
@10
I know this doesn’t make us better than Mexico but when you say “we may never be” we were for most of the last decade.
Don’t be fool on how good Mexicos youth teams are doing now. It does not mean when they get older they will win the WC. Look at Portugals youth teams of the past. They were great to. They were all groun up and no WC yet.
You can definitely make an argument that we were better than Mexico for most of the last decade, but never “hands down,” which means “no question.” If we were, then our first win at the Azteca would have happened sometime back then instead of last night.
I have been using floodlight robbery every chance I get. I believe the exact quote was “It would be a bit of golddust if the Americans got a tie, and floodlight robbery if they win.”
Nicely written. Well done. Cheers.
Some of those conclusions are completely unwarranted and downright dangerous for the health of this team going forward:
2. It i incredible how one play completely erases a whole year of bad play on the national team.
3. The team didnt even bunker properly for most of the game. There was clearly a huge disconnect between Klinsman and the players. Howard did not all of the sudden decide to play every single ball out of the back in the first half when Mexico was pressuring high which led to many dangerous lost balls on our half. Tactical genius my ass. The only thing he should get credit for is using all 6 subsitutions to give players rest.
7. First of all, Guardado did not go by Castillo, because Guardado was playing on the opposite side of the field. Barrera had a terrible game and it was Elias Hernandez who blew past him several times.
8. Kyle Beckerman gave up dangerous balls and was off for 95% of the game.
It is truly sad that we value Mexico so much, that we are unable to analize the game objectively. Had we not scored that goal and Howard had not come up huge at the end, you would not have come to a lot of these conclusions even though the other 90 minutes of the game would have played out the same.
The irony is that this is such a huge false positive that it will lead to so many unwarranted conclusions (not only by fans but by the coaching staff) that we will suffer from it in the short term and are in for a rude awakening during qualifying. Becuase we value mexico so highly, the conclusions made from this game will come to bite us in the ass, its said that even though we won at azteca, mexico will probably get the last laugh.
INTERESTING POINTS. THX
Solid444, if you can’t take some enjoyment and some encouragement from this game, then you are watching soccer for all the wrong reasons.
There’s a certain demographic of USMNT fans who are really invested in always being unhappy, no matter what. They can find a downside to us winning at Azteka, FFS. I’m not sure why they bother watching US soccer if it makes them so miserable and cranky.
What does enjoyment and encouragement have to do with anything? I can enjoy a game and be encouraged by certain aspects and still be objective about what I saw. Apparently, your analisis of what goes on in the field is linked to your enjoyment of the game. The sad part is the you are not the only one who thinks that way.
Many of your conclusions are still ridiculous and anyone who knows anything about the game and can give objective analisis knows that.
Just seems that your analysis doubles as a list of complaints.
Let’s not trade insults though, that gets us nowhere.
Genuine question: Do you have any positive observations from the game that you want to share? Things that the USMNT did well and you want to see us do again?
Also, we know Guardado played on the left, but we are referring to one very specific incident in the first half where he popped up on the right and cut inside Castillo with ease.
Beckerman played well, saying he was off for 95% of the game proves you were not really watching the game.
Dude, Beckerman made a pass. That’s it, just a pass. Not a clever pass or a through pass or even a pinpoint pass. Just a simple pass. Let’s not overhype his involvement or else we might have to give credit to his mom and dad for the goal too for having created him. Just sayin’.
Outside of that, he had a pretty useful night. His chalkboard stats are 25/30 successful passes, 3 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 clearances and a heat map covering an awful lot of the field.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-08-15-mex-v-usa/chalkboard
He’ll never be everyone’s favorite player, but he probably deserves a little more respect than he is currently getting for his national team contributions.
I genuinely think washing his hair and then giving it a nice trim would help.
Two of those three “interceptions” were clearances to space rather than him being intuitive and actually intercepting the ball. That’s like crediting a bucket for “intercepting” rain on its way down. Also, 3 tackles? Is that a good stat for someone playing his position who played 90 minutes?
I get he was part of the play that lead to the score. Bully for him. But the overhype is a bit much. And stats don’t mean much if there is no detail. He won 3 tackles, but of how many attempted? He lost posession 6 times. There are no stats on who the 25 completed passes were to. Were they back passes? Safe passes?
Again, let’s not overhype stuff. If you think he played well, fine. But the stats you mention — and certainly anyoen giving him top billing on setting up the goal — is not helping his cause.
I am not trying to get into a for or against argument about Beckerman here. My comments are more about how a DM (any DM) should pass the ball. My question is, as a DM why is it bad to make back passes and safe passes?
I kinda think all his passes should be safe passes (especially at the Azteca).
Agree on the “safe” pass thing. But DMs should have far more amazing stats in the tackles and challenges department. Especially against a team like Mexico. It would be interesting still to see how many of those 25 passes were “real” passes versus touch offs or taps. Also, would be nice to see a stat on runs (if any) that he had that created chances upfield…i.e., like what some of the top DMs do when they take the ball upfield. That would be a key stat IMHO to see how effective he was as a DM.
no way, “brah” beckerman’s strength is in those natty dreads. that and the weed.
LowenBoy:
No interest in an argument, but I’m curious…
What stats should a DM have? It seems like you’re comparing apples to nothing.
Point me (and others) so stats that substantiate either argument.
Thanks.
…and actually if you watch the *whole* play you will see it was Boyd, Beasely and Orozco who put the pressure on the Mexican defense — following the throw in which was a result of a careless give away by Mexico — that lead to the second poor pass that Beckerman (who was all alone and unmarked in midfield) was able to collect and pass to Shea. Hardly Messiesque brilliance. So let’s not over rate Beckerman’s involvement in this, shall we.
Good point LoewenBoy, and in that light it’s incorrect to say Beckerman “started” the move. But it’s really just a tongue in cheek point to needle Beckerman haters, that when the highlights of this game are shown, the dreadlocks will be involved!
There’s so much denial on these boards it’s funny. Blah blah blah… we came home with the grande ganar! pwned!
I learned that Bunker Ball is here to stay. So Sad.
Nothing wrong with bunker if after you win the ball you try to quick strike counter, and have the players to quick strike.
If you can’t do it by the third pass then you play a build up game.
“wipe those last drops of yellow liquid off your shoulder” I am pretty sure that is what the US fans had to do after they visited Azteca.
“Yeah, it’s got some serious altitude.” Plus some serious dirty air.
Also not much Mexican player intimidation when you consider they are playing in Mexico. That will change the next time they meet in Mexico.
Don’t for get the laser pointers they were aiming at our Keepers eyes.
That was some little cross (Glider)that our blonde left wing mid made after his cross that lead to the first goal. Just missed being a second goal. I don’t even know his name, but I won’t forget that cross he made anythime soon.
On Klinsmann anyone notice we were better moving the ball on the left flank then we were moving the ball on the right flank? There was no inside the field option on that right flank why was that? That was a problem for us. How come he did not notice thatthere was one less option for the right flank dribbler?
But we won any way with our B team or was it our C team?
I just think the USA is officially Mexico’s boogeyman. Kind of like France is to Brazil, and Germany to Argentina. Every team has that team they just can’t beat easily, no matter how they have been performing recently. At this level, it’s actually an important psychological advantage, because it tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy that impacts the players and the fans.
Mexico is 3-1 in the last 4 official games against the US, hardly a boogeyman
I just want to point out that Solid444 analized the podcast.
11. Our “Mexicans*” can beat your Mexicans.
Castillo, Orozco Fiscal, Corona, Torres, Gomez.
*They’re 100%, Undisputed, Pure-D, legendary, Red-White-and-Blue Americans. But I can’t help thinking heritage/current club situation made a difference. Pride.
I thought Cameron was just going to be another big bodied, clumsy defender on the US backline….I was wrong…Dude played really well. Held his own and had timely deflections. Props to the US for getting the win, there is no deserving in soccer…goals are what matter and you guys got one. MOTM, Cameron, hands down.
AND Howard…almost forgot him…he saved a couple sure goals.
I think the win was good for the US and a confidence booster, BUT…if you look at the demeanor of the crowd (the lack thereof) and the players (out of sync) in El Azteca, and the fact that it was a friendly — this will be the first and last time México loses there in a very long, a very long time. México will win in Columbus or whatever backwater soccer freezer they choose. I’ve got hunches…good ones. Called the last three victories for Mexico in the Olympics, and other important ones too. I had hunch about this one — I knew México would still be drunk on gold and unprepared for that game…I knew they would lose and and they did. Not a surprise. It won’t happen again for years, much to Klinsmann’s, and his successor’s agony. I mean they couldn’t be Guatemala, so take this with a grain of salt. Gio, I believe has only lost once to the U.S. He won’t let it happen again, not soon.
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