I bring Jermaine Jones and Geoff Cameron back up for our biggest match of the qualifier and also call up Daniel Williams, who has been sidelined with an injury for the first time. Kjestan, Edu and Brek Shea are sent back down. This will allow me to play a near ideal lineup, with the exception of Bradley. The only notable things going into the match with Mexico are Zusi suffering from fatigue and Dempsey winning MLS player of the month award. Lets hope Zusi gets some sleep and Dempsey carries that play forward. The media questions the demotion of Edu and the inclusion of Williams and Okugo (again). The team meeting prior to the match sees me take an assertive approach as I ask them to kick it in. Jermaine Jones echoes the statement. I decide to take a gamble and attack Mexico, hoping we get on the board first and then I can dial it back.
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| 9/6/2013 | World Cup Qualifying: USA 3-2-1 (2nd) vs Mexico 3-1-1 (1st) | |
| Record vs Opponent 0-0-1 | Att: 20,500 | Favorite: USA | |
| GK - Howard | Mid - Jones, Cameron, Zusi, Dempsey © | |
| Def - F Johnson, Besler, Gonzalez, Chandler | ST - Altidore, Johannsson | |
| Summary | MOM - | |
| 23 - Jermaine Jones gets booked for a hard tackle | |
| 32 - Layun finds Jimenez in full sprint, splitting the defenders and putting it past Howard 0-1 | |
| 40 - Fabian Johnson swings a corner near post, but Besler whiffs on the doorstep | |
| 45 - Graham Zusi is injured, Landon Donovan comes on | |
| 46 - Howard comes off his line to rob Chicharito near the spot with a brilliant save | |
| 55 - Pena strips Chandler, touches it to Hernandez who beats Howard this time far side 0-2 | |
| 59 - Johannsson takes a clearance and sprints the length of the pitch, then puts it over | |
| 60 - Holden on for Dempsey and Wondolowski on for Johannsson | |
| 67 - Matt Besler gets a yellow card on a play that gives Mexico great position on a set piece | |
| 67 - Morales makes us pay for Besler's foul, squeezing the free kick in the top corner, fork 0-3 | |
| Final | USA - 0 | Mexico - 3 | USA scoring | |
| Shots | 13 | 6 | | None | |
| Target | 2 | 4 | | | |
| Poss | 46% | 54% | | | |
| Booked | 2 | 0 | | | |
| I will put this one on my shoulders and go with our possession and counter tactic from now on against Mexico as our attacking style is not a good matchup. Still, to put only 2 of 13 shots on goal is inexcusable, while 3 of the 4 they get on target find the friggin back of the net. Beyond the loss, this kills our goal differential and puts Mexico in the drivers seat with 3 matches left. | |
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Other matches in the group see Costa Rica best El Salvador 3-1 and Jamaica tie with Honduras 1-1, with Costa Rica now caulting past us into second. Our 3 matches left are Honduras at home, El Salvador away and Jamaica home. We will need points from all three, preferrably as least 7 and that Mexico lays a beatdown on them, since they finish up with Jamaica and Honduras at home.