Is anyone else about to pop with excitement right now? As my esteemed partner in crime notes, the game tonight is the second biggest event in the four-year world soccer cycle. USA v Mexico. Its enough to bring out the ethno-nationalist in all of us.
Right now the weather for tonight's game is looking decidedly dreary, which no doubt excites the U.S. fans - just not the ones attending the game mind you. (Highlander's mom flat-out refused to travel to the game because "watching on TV is far more comfortable". My guess is that Highlander's mom's sentiments accurately captures the sentiments of the Mexican players.) True, it could be a little colder from my perspective, but a little rain, a lot of hostile crowd, and a long trip could spell trouble for the Mexicans.
Alas, I smell a trap tonight. Yes, the U.S. has dominated the results against Mexico on U.S. soil over the last decade, but they have by no means dominated on the field. The U.S. has been consistently good at catching a lucky break at the right time in these games. The worry is that this luck must run out at some point. I expect the Mexicans to show some steel away from home for once, and a 1-1 draw seems in the offing.
Of course, if the U.S. comes out on top tonight, I expect Sven to be fired before he sets foot back on Mexican soil. I am still one of the few people who thinks Sven knows what he is doing, but he clearly doesn't understand Mexican culture (neither do I), and his inability to bridge this divide is overshadowing any improvements on the field in terms of tactics and players. The coach-culture fit here is a disaster, and I don't see Sven survivng until SA.
I could say "let's have a good game", but I wouldn't mean it. Instead, let's have a U.S. win.
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