While the USA has made great strides, Mexico still King of CONCACAF

I don't believe you, you must be some sort of "dirty Mexican."

I agree with you on the first part. Mexico is the best team in CONCACAF by a couple of degrees. We're a strong side but they're a world power who is able to beat the best teams in the world, win in Europe, etc. However, on your second contention, recent history has shown that in the United States, the US usually beats Mexico. It's the force that is able to even up the two sides - home pitch advantage. Though, you may be right since Mexico is on a run right now that rivals the best teams in the world.

They are more athletic I would say but I'm not sure about more skillful. Part of the skill comes from the fact that they're all very familiar with one another. An interesting fact about Mexico is that they are the only team in the Confederations Cup where every player plays domestically in the home country. Now, in their World Cup team there are a few foreign based players in the side, but they know each other better as a team, even if they don't necessarily practice together more than any other national side.

 

So is this US side. Winning by consecutive 3-0 scores isn't something to sneeze at, even if it was "only Costa Rica and Panama".

The important thing in the coming match is this: even if Mexico is the stronger team overall at this point, the US has become something of a bogey team for Mexico in the last 5 years or so.

 

actually its a surprise too see him give props to mexico after posting how the nt was gonna get beaten by the trinis...

 

Why shouldnt he if they played well. Trinidadians are not stubborn people nor are Tobagoians

 

I agree with you completely here. Our recent winning wins against Mexico woke them up. This is a significantly better team right now than the one we played in the World Cup. I was very impressed with their game against us in the Azteca, as well as their recent win against Brazil. Their defense in that game was outstanding. If they're not going to let a team with Robinho, Ronaldinho, Adriano, Juninho P., and buddies score, do you think they'll shut down Eddie Johnson again. I do.

We need to up our game in order to beat Mexico in Columbus again. That's realism.

 

Maybe, just maybe, this all means that CONCACAF is stronger than we give it credit for and the US and Mexican top ten ratings are no fluke

 

Neither team can claim to be the "King" of the region. That implies one team is superior in all accounts to the other. The better analogy would be that USA and Mexico are 2 rival princes fighting for the crown.

How anyone could argue one team is dominate to the other is beyond comprehension. The USA does have a favorable recond in recent history to Mexico so they may be slightly ahead in the race but Mexico are our equal by most accounts in the region.

 

I agree that Mexico can not claim to the king of the region. Our results versus them in the last 10 years are simply too good. Whenever we play Mexico at home, we seem to really step it up a notch, so i'm confident we can win in a few months.

However, I must agree that Mexico is on a quite a roll right now. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how well they contained Brazil, the most potent attacking force in the world. Mexico in no way looked outmatched, and I think the US is definetely going to seem outmatched if they step on the pitch with Brazil.

So I think that Mexico is probably the better team at the moment, but we will still beat them at home

 

I'm a Yank all the way and if we can't get it done then I root for my CONCACAF brothers. Let me establish that up front.

However: While Mexico deserves major kudos for the win against Brazil I wonder if we were all watching the same game. Obviously, Brazil couldn't finish and that is the most important thing, but otherwise I thought they dominated most of the game, especially the first half. It blew me away how much space Mexico allowed the Brazilian front line and midfield (or did the Brazilians create it?) and if Adriano wasn't so damned impatient he would have scored at least two. A great save by Oswaldo saved the day too.

If they stack the back line and midfield like that against the US in Columbus, it will be a snooze just like Mexico City was (4-5-1 what were you thinking Bruce?) and the US will get a 1-0 or 2-1 victory.

Has a 4-5-1 ever produced a victory? Just curious...

 

By no means is Mexico the king of CONCACAF. Just look at the US's recent track record against them. Yeah we lost by one in Mexico, but who doesnt. I just read that after Argentina played in Columbia, which is at elevation much like Mexico City, they played a whole new 11 for the next match, because of the effects of the altitude. When Mexico shows up in the states for the next WCQ, its gonna be a whole new ballgame. Wolff may even get a chance to stick one in like last time.

 

you're talkin friendlies and only two meaningful games.

if friendlies count, then look at our recent history against Brazil. Doesn't mean anything.

 

Well it's obviously affected Mexico at some level. They aren't taking CONCACAF games for granted anymore. Costa Rica and USA together having been pushing Mexico to never take any game for granted. I think they are now a better team with better concentration.

 

Just like ' Bora ' said to alexandre Guimarize yesterday .


Mexico is the king , Usa is good but dose not have the passion of costa rica .


Sams army is nothing comapred to UM or Azteca on a WCQ .

 

The best part is that the US is now expected to compete against Mexico when they play in Mexico which not long ago was unheard of.

The US has come along way and we are still improving. The better the US is, the better CR gets, and the better Mexico is does nothing but help our region.

I want the US to be the best, and I look forward to them getting there some day.

 

I am happy that our mortal enemies are so strong. We would have have zero respect (as opposed to the shadow of a modicum of respect) if we didn't have mexico. And you're right, we will beat them in September... think of us as the griffey jr. and them as griffey sr. (gringo jr. y cabrón sr.)

 

I agree, we are on our way, I love the progress this team has made in the past 20 years. I want to see the US start beating top teams at their homes.

 

I think Mexico's recent run should quiet those who think the Tri-Colore don't deserve to be seeded when the World Cup draw is made in December. They played very well against Brazil Sunday from the 26th minute to the end. I haven't decided if the U.S. will win the WCQ in Columbus in September. Both teams have dominated qualifying so far. Our loss in Mexico City wasn't as bad as Mexico's draw in Panama, insofar as shock value is assessed. Still, I think one dominant team in CONCACAF gives the other teams something to shoot for. Two good teams in this confederation helps bring up the esteem and perception of the others (or it should in an objective world-wide view). Remember the last hex--Costa Rica won the final group qualifying stage while Mexico and the United States sort of "left it late" to make it in 2002. All 3 teams had a good run in the finals at Japan & South Korea. I see no such problems for the top 2 teams this time around. The real battle will be for the 3rd and 4th spots, and no one is eliminated yet. We can all debate what the final standings look like from now till the middle of October over our favorite beverages. In the meantime, enjoy!

 

Mexico is still king in Concacaf. The difference with Mexico and the US, is that Mexico can compete with ANY team in the world with great consistency and the US cannot say the same. Look at Mexico in this Confederations Cup, they were able to dominate their group without their two best players (Marquez and Cuauhtemoc). Compare it to the US where they were dead last in the Confed Cup. Now in the last 3 years, the US has not had many chances to play World Caliber competition (mostly because of their own fault). They have only played 5 World Caliber teams in the last 3 (Turkey, Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico and Brazil U-23 maybe) and they went 0-4-1 in those games. And this is not considering important friendlies they lost (Holland and England Reserve).

The US woke up a giant when they beat them in the World Cup. Mexico has improved a lot more than the US has in the last 3 years. You look at the great defense that played against Brazil and have to realize that they did it without their best defender/player and the average age of the defense was 24. These guys easily have 2 WCs in them. This is the first time in A LONG TIME that Mexico has had the same coach for a whole 4 year WC cycle. You can make the case that the US has a better record against Mexico than otherwise, but from an International viewpoint, Mexico is still king.

 

No doubt there, Mexico is still the top team in CONCACAF...

 

An excellent point. The official FIFA formula pretty much assures Mexico a top seed, but all along I've wondered whether FIFA would change the system to keep the seeds in Europe and South America. If Mexico had bombed in the Confederations Cup, I think FIFA would have found a way to exclude them. Now it'll be very hard.