Houston...yet another home match for El Tri. Whether its blood or the ref's card, we will see RED on Sunday!
whole region is basically them two plus occasional rises of teams like Costa Rica Did I read only Canada has stopped one of those two lifting the trophy since 2000? (EDIT, misread or recollection, has run since 1991 and that's the ONLY time those two haven't won it, 2000 Canada win) Seems Brazil played in three, eight teams outside the region have played in it and wtf about hosting this same time as world club cup, they'll be hosting the Euros next, a cricket World Cup (the proper one too) no doubt sometime in the future
Poch now under the spotlight by BBC, two donkey race and he came second. their WC 'progress' surely a better benchmark of where the two respective sides are at : WC records since Mexico unbanned (1994-) USA : QF x1 (2002), L16 x4, groups x2, DNQ x1 Mexico : L16 x7, groups x1 Mexico 7 last 16s in a row, USA surprisingly failing to qualify once in a region where USA, Mexico + other spots qualify is almost a given
America does have the Olympics next too of course . Canada are a decent team now but generally been very average or even poor. No surprise two countries like the US and Mexico dominate so much .
Watched this here in Mexico. As has been mentioned, lack of any other competition means this is a commonplace final. When it comes to the WC, both teams suffer as a result of playing in a poor confederation. Think the only time this century either has reached the QF stage is USA in 2002, I remember that team well (Incidentally beating Mexico in the R16). Mexico is football mad and has a huge population- real underachievers sadly. They always seem to draw Argentina or Brazil too. They'll enjoy this win though. Thought Jimenez' Jota tribute was nice, good goal too. I was surprised to see Mexico and US fans mingling in the stands. I had been led to believe that these games can be real flashpoints amongst fans and players, but it shows that they perhaps haven't reached the level of violence that can be seen in Europe.
With so many top USA players absent, what Coach Poch learned from this Gold Cup is surely limited. But even with the likes of Pulisic, McKennie, Musah, Weah, Reyna, and a few other current absentees on the roster, who thinks USA stands any serious WC chance next summer? It’s been a generation since the 1994 WC with Alexi Lalas’ USA squad losing on our home soil to Brazil quite late and narrowly in the Round of 16, on the 4th of July. Welcome to World Football, America! Predictions then of the sport making big gains in coming decades…well we do have MLS. (Sadly no longer with free over-the-air local team TV broadcasts). But unless something unimaginably disastrous happens to American football and basketball at the middle and high school grassroots levels, it’s hard to think we’ll see truly world-challenging success soon.
