As I sit in front of my computer typing this post I have to think back to such a glorious moment to see our boys with the hunger and the passion to play there game and to upset our biggest rival below the southern border of our great land. To see an early goal by Brian McBride in the 1st half and to see a quick counter attack in the middle of the 2nd half involving Eddie Lewis down the far touch line and crossing that ball into the oncoming head of Landon Donovan to hear the swishing sound of nylon into the back of that net was pure poetry in motion. I have reviewed on video tape and swelled up with pride to see our National Team program grow into a new and dangerous threat to World Football. True to the fact that certain things of our league needs to be fixed, added, or done correctly to make it better within our country, but let's not forget that without our Major League Soccer there would have been no, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Mathis, Brian McBride. Yes folks Landon Donovan, because if he was still in Germany, he wouldn't get the playing time in Leverkusen and he would have been a washed up not even getting a shot at the National Team player. It started when Bruce Arena became our National Team coach after a disgusting performence in France in 1998 with a coach who played scared. From Arena it went to his players. The field general took the game plan to his soliders and they performed magnificently. The World Cup video from US Soccer showed it in the locker room. Once again since the start of the US Soccer season from the 1st match against Canada up to now for Thursday night and beyond till the middle of June for the Confederations Cup and the middle of July for our title defense of the Gold Cup. The new crop is now mixing in with the old. We are already into the month of May. 7 months time it will soon be 2004 and once again we shall be ready and primed for World Cup Qualifying with a Brand new Quarterfinal round, no matter how weak the opponents will be for the USA, there should be no assuming that it will be an easy task because our boys are gonna have a target slapped on their backs. If the opponents in our Quarterfinal group doesn't advance at least they are willing to take out one or two of the boys to thwart Arena's plans into the Semi-Final Round of Qualifying. Yes this one is just a friendly, but then again they say that this is just a friendly. I'm ready for the action to begin, I'm ready to see the progress of our boys to go out there and kick some major tail once again against Mexico. If these two ever meet again in the World Cup it should be interesting, but untill that time I shall end this post in spanish. 2002 Copa Mundial Dos Nada Estados Unidos They can never take that away from us.
My pre-game: 1 1/2 hours before game- Load up a crew of guys from my college team. Head over to La Cozuela (Local Mexican Food Joint) Begin drinking XX and a few Margaritas and putting away a few baskets of chips and salsa. Taunt the waitors and staff for a bit. Order food 20-30 minutes before kick-off. Check food for any bodily fluids that the kitchen staff may have decided to add because we are obnoxious Americans. Eat food and continue trash talking. Finalmente: Watch us win, hopefully.
Went to Wal-Mart this morning for last-minute supplies before we head over to Houston. We were wearing our McBride and Donovan shirts and this Mexican guy started talking smack how Mexico was going to beat us. Bring it on! We let him know -- 2-0, enough said. Let the games begin! We're off to Houston. Go USA!!