United States - Mexico: Match Report

Mexico’s Miguel Sabah was the difference on Wednesday as his squad took another one from the US Men’s National Team before 114,000 cheering fans at 7,200-foot-high Azteca Stadium.

Sabah’s 82d-minute strike to the top of the net, his first touch of the game, stopped a resurgent US squad and preserved a winless streak for the Americans at the Mexico City stadium.

The World Cup qualifier at the stadium started well for the Americans. In Minute 9, one of the US team’s newest stars, New Hampshire native and former Boston College student Charlie Davies, scored, putting the US ahead early. It was only the fourth US goal ever at Azteca Stadium, where the Americans have a 0-13-1 record.

The US lead didn’t last long.

Before the 20-minute mark, Israel Castro had equalized with a perfect strike from 20 yards out. The shot touched the top post and bounced inside the goal. At the 24-minute mark, Mexico’s Giovani Dos Santos broke free and just missed wide right.

Three minutes later, the first (called) card penalty, a yellow-card on US defender Onyewu Oguchi. A second yellow card was issued two minutes after that to US defender Jay DeMerit. At Minute 45, captain Carlos Bocanegra was yellow carded after a tackle that clearly went for the ball.

Several Americans looked winded early, including Bocanegra. Oguchi picked up some of the defensive slack, including a nice pick of a pass intended for DosSantos near the end of the first half.

Two exceptional free kicks in the first half by US midfielder Landon Donovan, one just past the diving head of Onyewu.

Mexico slowed the pace in the first few minutes of the second half. In Minute 56, Mexican legend Cuautemoc Blanco was subbed out for speedy Carlos Vela, who plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League. On the US side, Brian Ching and Ricardo Clark left the field for Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden, the hot-shooting star of last month’s US-Haiti match at Gillette Stadium.

Outstanding save by Howard in 59th minute on a point-blank strike by Dos Santos.

Onyewu clearly being picked on, called for a foul in the 68th minute. Neri Castillo hits Onyewu after the play. No call.

In the 71st minute, terrific cross by Holden to Davies, in front of Davies’ head by an inch. Less than a minute later, Davies called on a very, very close offside.

After a controversial attempt by two Mexican players to push up a fallen, injured Charlie Davies, Davies is taken off the field, replaced by Jozy Altidore.

A terrific tackle by DeMerit actually led to Sabah’s goal in the 82d. It was a point-blank shot, impossible for Howard to grab.

All sides knew it would be an uphill battle for the Americans. The incessant noise of Azteca Stadium is a huge disadvantage for the US squad.

The match offered a chance for the Americans to avenge the embarassing 5-0 loss of its “B” team to the Mexican squad in the Gold Cup finals on July 26. The Americans failed to capitalize, and while they will likely have no trouble qualifying for the World Cup today was an opportunity to keep Mexico from going to South Africa next summer.