U.S. Mostly in Need of Focus
Still crazy after all these years.
Ricardo Lavolpe, the chain-smoking Argentine coach who will guide Mexico’s fortunes today when it plays the U.S. in a World Cup qualifying match at cavernous and intimidating Azteca Stadium, says he believes he knows what it will take to win.
Mexico’s players, he said, must be “intelligent and not run around like crazy” if they are to prevail once again and keep intact the unbeaten record at home they have compiled against the U.S. since 1937.
“We have got to use our advantages and keep the ball moving to tire them out,” Lavolpe said last week. “After that we will try to outplay them.”
And the Americans, who are 0-21-1 in Mexico overall but 6-1-1 against Mexico in recent games?
“Our key is to stick to what we’re here to do and let everything else just go away,” U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan said Saturday. “That’s why it helps having a guy like Claudio [Reyna] here. He knows what it’s like. He knows how to settle the team if we’re getting crazy.”
The atmosphere at Azteca is certain to be electric, with more than 100,000 fans expected. At 7,200 feet, the altitude will naturally be a factor, draining the energy from both teams, but especially the visitors. Mexico City’s vaunted smog, another hurdle, was largely and thankfully absent Saturday, and the heat is nothing like it is later in the year.
Both teams are fielding their strongest lineups, with Bruce Arena, the U.S. coach, pointing to such Mexican stars as Oswaldo Sanchez, Rafael Marquez, Francisco Fonseca, Ramon Morales, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Pavel Pardo as being key to Mexico’s chances.
If, that is, they don’t get crazy and can somehow put aside the memory of being knocked out of the 2002 World Cup by the U.S. in South Korea.
Apparently, it won’t be easy.
“I have a bad taste in my mouth, a bad memory of them, and I am waiting to take out my anger,” Marquez, who plays for Barcelona, told the El Universal newspaper Wednesday.
“No one comes here and beats us,” said goalkeeper Sanchez, forgetting, perhaps, that Costa Rica has done just that.
As for the U.S., the return of team captain Reyna after a long battle with injury will be more than welcome. He is one of 11 Europe-based players called in by Arena for the match.
“We can’t get caught up in past games with them,” Reyna said. “This game is the only one we need to worry about.”
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In other World Cup qualifying games: Roy Myrie scored the decisive goal in the final seconds as Costa Rica beat visiting Panama, 2-1, in a CONCACAF game at San Jose. The game was played in an empty stadium, punishment for Costa Rica for unruly behavior by its fans during a match against Mexico last month.... Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz and Dwight Pezzarosi scored twice as Guatemala routed Trinidad and Tobago, 5-1, in a CONCACAF game at Guatemala City.
In European games, Philip Cocu and Ryan Babel scored to give the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over host Romania at Bucharest to strengthen its grip on first place in Group 1.... France labored to a 0-0 tie with visiting Switzerland at Saint-Denis, missing a chance to move into first place in Group 4.... Andrea Pirlo scored goals off two free kicks, and Italy beat Scotland, 2-0, at Milan to take control of Group 5.... Joe Cole scored host England’s opening goal and Michael Owen had another in a 4-0 victory over Northern Ireland in a Group 6 game at Manchester.... Fredrik Ljungberg scored twice in Sweden’s 3-0 win over host Bulgaria at Sofia to keep the Swedes atop Group 8.
In South American games, Argentina rallied with second-half goals from Luciano Figueroa and Luciano Galetti to beat host Bolivia, 2-1, at La Paz and extend its qualifying lead.... Venezuela and visiting Colombia played to a 0-0 tie at Maracaibo.
