Mexico vs. USA: El Tri’s Olympic Achievement Can Serve as Road Map for USMNT

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: August 14, 2012

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Your move, Klinsi. Best make it count.

When the history of American soccer is written by some future scribe, the chapters concerning the Jurgen Klinsmann era might yet tell tales of glorious achievement and the long-prophesied breakthrough on the international stage.

As of this moment, though, Klinsi's reign is being overshadowed—possibly even defined—by America's neighbors to the south.

Allow me a digression to explain.

Competitiveness comes naturally to neighbors and siblings, and especially to footballing nations that act like both. Where there's competition, there are winners and losers, leaders and the pack.

And when your closest neighbor and fiercest footballing rival pulls off the most important win in its history, you better have a response ready.

That landmark win came this past weekend for Mexico, when El Tri defeated the mighty Brazil 2-1 for the Olympic gold medal. Coincidentally enough, Klinsmann and the United States will have their first chance at rebuttal this Wednesday in the smouldering cauldron known as the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

No pressure, Team USA.



Before we go any further, let's clear up a few issues.

First, the Mexican squad for this week's friendly will have almost nothing in common with the Mexican squad that won Olympic gold. That team was a U-23 version of El Tri (with the allotted three over-age players), and none of the gold medalists will be on hand this Wednesday at the Azteca.



But that's part of what made Mexico's accomplishment so impressive. Using a squad of mostly unheralded domestic players, Mexico defeated big, bad Brazil—the same exact Brazil team that demolished the senior U.S. squad in May—in a match with massive international stakes.

Second, Klinsman and the United States cannot hope to do anything Wednesday that could overshadow Mexico's Olympic acc...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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