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As an avid soccer fan, I have been planning for the (seemingly inevitable) U.S Men’s National Soccer Team’s return to Columbus to face off against Mexican National Soccer (futbol) Team. The game I have been waiting for is just a few short days away. US/Mexico is the biggest game soccer game in America in four years. It is against the USA’s oldest and most familiar adversary. Crew captain and U.S. National Team player Frankie Hejduk explained the importance of the game recently:
“We’re both trying to make the World Cup, that’s all it comes down to. Both teams want to win and both teams want to win for their country and get their country to the World Cup and that’s enough motivation for anyone.”
So expect a raucous atmosphere next Wednesday. I guess the question I first had is how the U.S. v. Mexico game got to Columbus in the middle of February anyway.
The U.S. played their first game against Mexico in 1934 winning 4-2. The United States was enjoying its first run of solid international play, even qualifying for the World Cup that year with the win over Mexico. That however would be the last win against “El Tri” until 1980. The U.S had fallen behind smaller countries like Guatemala. The Americans were a horrible team; not even close to the same class as Mexico. This however would change in the 1990′s as the USA would start to put together a solid soccer program and begin to challenge the Mexicans.
The Americans had a 2W-22L-3T record against Mexico until the 1990s. This was the decade that the balance of power would shift. The US, buoyed by hosting the World Cup in 1994, started grooming better players. This wave of American talent led by John Harkes and Claudio Reyna would allow the US to be competitive with the Mexicans for the first time. Unlike the lopsided record of decades past, the US racked up four wins in the 90s against 5 draws and 5 ties.
Unfortunately, the US still did not have a home base for the increasingly heated matches against Mexico. Matches played in California, Washington, Chicago, and many other major cities had very pro-Mexican crowds. 100,000 would show up in Los Angeles, but the crowd would be 80% Mexican. Enter the first soccer specific stadium; handily in the heart of the Midwest, Columbus Crew Stadium.
Crew Stadium was the only soccer only stadium in the country in February 2001 when it hosted the first US/Mexico World Cup Qualifier. The Americans decided to use the winter cold and rabid pro-American fan base in Columbus to try and build a home field advantage against Mexico for the first time. They succeeded beyond any expectation. A capacity crowd of 24,000 U.S. fans watch an U.S. team down the Mexicans 2-0. The game would be known as the “Guerra Fria” due to the cold winter weather; the Mexicans did not even warm up before the game due to the sub-freezing temperatures. It was a signal that the balance of power was shifting.
Crew Stadium again hosted Mexico in September 2005. The weather was warm, but Mexico again had no answer to a talented U.S. squad and was defeated 2-0. The US/Mexico games in 2001 and 2005 would come to represent the dominance the U.S. has had over Mexico this decade. The Americans have a 9 win, 2 loss, 2 tie record against Mexico so far this decade and look to extend their dominance next Wednesday in the stadium that has symbolized their rise. It looks like the weather will be warm (for February), but it won’t matter with the support of the American fans in such an intimate venue.
I would like to note that the U.S. Soccer Federation’s website and David Wangerin’s wonderful “Soccer in a Football World” were extremely helpful in looking back at the history of the US/Mexico rivalry. I will be checking in with a few more reports heading up to the big game this Wednesday. You can also check out a bit more of my writing at An American Game where I cover the Crew, the U.S. team, and soccer in general.
Wow, I didn’t realize this was a rivalry with a 75 year history, or that Mexico dominated for nearly 50 years straight. That is insane.
I will be there! Jumping and shouting like a true hulagan! Is anyone going to pregame ? Where are you going?
Not sure where I am going to go for pregame. I may split time between Claddagh and Ruby Tuesday (cheap beer is a big draw).
I love that we now own Mexico. We were one of the first countries of the world to organize a national association, and to be so terrible for so long (as assimilate or die became the way of immigrant lifestyle) only makes our resurgence in the past 30 years all the sweeter.
Anyway. Can’t wait for this game! Couldn’t get tickets because they sold out in 90 minutes (symbolism?) and my presale through Eurosport’s Goal Club was sent to my dad’s house.
BUT if anyone is in grandview, I’ve made sure that at 7PM the game will be on at the treehouse, before open mic starts. It will probably just be me and the bartender, which is more than fine for me because I have a tendency to coach and swear the whole game… habits are hard to break.
I’m sure Tommy Keegan’s would be fun as well, I just enjoy a good hooligan drunk a little closer to my home.
P.S. – If you ARE going to the game, the team would like all fans to wear red as Sam’s Army (the traveling supporters, like the Hudson St Hooligans of our National Team) customarily does. We are trying to negate the Mexican crowd entirely. U-S-A!
I don’t think they are sold out. I saw somewhere they still had a few tickets for Nordeck but I m sure you can find a scalpers ticket
I checked ticketbastard a few days ago and they had nothing in any price range. Was this through the stadium?
I just received the email below. More tickets on sale tomorrow at noon. Good luck.
From the U.S. Soccer Events Department
LIMITED QUANTITY OF TICKETS FOR USA-MEXICO FIFA WORLD CUPâ„¢ QUALIFIER TO BECOME AVAILABLE THIS TUESDAY AT 12 P.M. ET
U.S. Soccer will release on Tuesday, February 10, at 12 p.m. ET the remaining available tickets for Wednesday night’s USA vs. Mexico FIFA World Cup™ qualifier showdown at Columbus Crew Stadium. The tickets were originally held back pending placement of extra camera locations, platforms and other equipment.
Tickets are priced between $48 and $125 and will be available while supplies last through Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and at all Columbus-area Ticketmaster outlets (including Kroger). Limit four tickets per order. Availability is extremely limited. U.S. Soccer welcomes you to pay with your Visa® card.
For the link to the Ticketmaster.com order page, a seating diagram and other event details, please click here:
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_12255240.html
We look forward to seeing you at Crew Stadium on Wednesday night!
i will be there, and i am so glad that the weather is shaping up for some prime tailgating. i’ll be leaving work early to get there and get ready for another fantastic game.
i was there in ’05, and it was one of the greatest sports watching experiences i’ve ever had.
i would also add to the story above one of my favorite games in the last decade. the world cup in ’02, the US beat Mexico, 2-0, in what must be counted as the biggest win in the history of US soccer. that win put the US in the quarter finals of the world cup. (and if the ref had called the hand ball against Germany in that match the US may have had a chance at #1, dammit, i’m still sore about that one.)
let’s all be loud and supportive of our team in the game on wed. and beyond as they fight to reach the world cup finals once again.
That handball STILL pisses me off too. We were so tough that year.
And thanks for the ticket info!
USA USA
This game seems to have a pretty significant economical impact on Columbus as well:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Sports Commission estimates soccer fans will spend between $2-3 million when the U.S. and Mexico open the final round of World Cup qualifying at Crew Stadium.
READ MORE
Well,, i’ll tell you. mexico might have history on their side,, but we have a growing popularuty for us. Remember people,, everytime we played mexico b4 the 90′s,, we were playing against mexicans who have had a Pro League since about 1890,, (or somewhere around that date, i don’t remember exactly). We were always playing with non-professional players mostly in college, or just recreational players who didn’t take soccer (very) seriously. Now that we have the MLS, we are almost invincible to the mexicans. We haven’t lost to them at home in over a decade,, and the games in mexico are just about 50/50. We just need to beat them constantly at the Azteca to shut their mouths up about who is top notch in CONCACAF. The whole world knows that we are,, but our envious neighbors to the south seem to have a little trouble grasping the fact that (and admitting that) times have changed. As for the rivalry part of the discussion,, it really hasn’t been a rivalry since about 1990. Now that we stepped our skills up quite a bit,, the mexicans have to take us seriously. B4 the 1990′s it really wasn’t really a rivalry because everyone knew that they would beat us (with an occasional tie here and there). But now,, it’s probably more of a rivalry for them because they don’t want to lose their title as CONCACAF giants. Remember people,, we dominate in just about every other sport (basketball, baseball, football, winter/summer olympics, even big names in golf and tennis). Just give us another decade or 2, and we’ll definately be a top contender with consistancy for WC champioships. It won’t happen over night,, it takes time. But,, slowly but surely, we are stepping up our level of play. I usually don’t enter this site much, but i’m up for discussion. I can be e-mailed at thegermandon@hotmail.com ,, i would love to hear what USA fans have to say. Hope to hear from u soon.
¡¡¡¡ GOOD LUCK U.S.A !!!!