MEXICO City – When the United States’s Men’s National Team began the final round of regional qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, known as the CONCACAF Hexagonal, most U.S. fans were hoping for six points from the first three games. Actually, they would settle for four.
The latter is what they got, but not the way it was expected. The four points were earned with a snow-covered 1-0 win in Colorado against Costa Rica, and a scoreless draw with Mexico at famed Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The U.S. was upset in the opener in Honduras, in a game where a win had been expected. At the very least, a draw. That would not happen.
The tie against Mexico lifted the U.S., which was dead last after the opening loss, into a tie for second place behind surprising Panama. Mexico, which settled for its third consecutive draw, is fifth with only three points.
For the U.S., the draw seemed like a win, and for Mexico it certainly seemed like a loss.
The point earned at Azteca was a point hoped for, but not expected. The U.S. team was missing eight potential starters because of illness or injury. Also, midfielder Jermaine Jones, who suffered a badly sprained ankle and a puncture wound to his foot against Costa Rica, did not go to Mexico. Instead he returned to Germany for treatment.
The U.S. defense was a major question mark going into the game with Costa Rica. Of greater concern was the challenges that Mexico would throw at the young U.S. defenders. They would take ? shots in the game, but only ? were on goal.
Brad Guzan, subbing for injured U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, was called on to make ? saves. Several were spectacular.
And the defense held up very well. DaMarcus Beasley played left back for the second consecutive game, and was outstanding. Geoff Cameron was solid at right back.
Omar Gonzales and Matt Besler looked like they have played together in the middle for a long, long time. Actually, the game in Mexico was only the second international cap for Besler, in his first qualifier. Gonzalez now has played in three World Cup qualifiers.
“They were great,” Guzan said of Besler and Gonzalez. “I think they were getting a lot of unfair criticism coming into the game, saying they were too young, they weren’t going to be able to cope. I think they proved a lot of doubters wrong. Especially Matt stepping in at Azteca. You would have thought he had 50 caps under his belt.”
The U.S. failed to register a single shot on goal, but was able to maintain possession for extended periods of time.
The four points came after the team, and its coach Jurgen Klinsmann, received a lot of negative scrutiny, much coming from a Sporting News article that cited unidentified sources, including current players, who criticized Klinsmann, his training methods, and what was projected as unsettled team chemistry between the players.
As soon as the crowd of over 100,000 left Azteca Stadium with concern for their own coach’s future, much of the controversy in the U.S. camp had settled. At least for now.
With seven more games to go in the hexagonal, the U.S. once again is one of the favorites to finished in the top three in the final standings and earn an automatic berth in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The tie in Mexico City was only the second-ever for the U.S. in Azteca, a place where they have lost 13 World Cup qualifiers.
“We’re very pleased with this result,” Klinsmann said in postgame interviews. “The way our team was organized, was connected, was committed, was an unbelievable team effort.”
Mexico was scoreless, but it wasn’t from a lack of trying. Manchester United striker Javier Hernández, known as Chicharito, got a number of good looks, but failed to score. He has never scored against the United States.
Next up for the U.S. is a trip to Jamaica on June 7. The Americans were shocked 2-1 in a loss the last time they made that trip during the semifinal round last fall. Jamaica will be difficult because they are last in the standings and need to win at home.
For that game, most of Klinsmann’s walking wounded will be healed and ready to go.