USMNT v. Mexico 11 June, on now

[Forever Fulham]

Here we go. 

[Forever Fulham]

Beasley--how OLD is he now?   Bobby Wood down, hurt.  Expect to see laser beams in eyes soon. And bags of urine and machine bolts thrown onto the pitch as well. 

[Forever Fulham]

Bradley scores!  5:30 mark.  Long chip over the GK's reach.

[Forever Fulham]

22:36   Mexico ties it up, 1-1.  No one gave Beasley any support in defense.

[Forever Fulham]

I appreciate Chicharito as a player, but today he made a meal out of contact with Guzman, flopping on the ground like the 5th Act of Swan Lake.  Didn't get the call though.   Now he's limping about.  Bobby Wood and Christian Pulisic playing very well.  Our midfield play is very good.  I think U.S. has  more team footspeed than Mexico, giving them problem.

[Forever Fulham]

The pressure on the refs must be tremendous at this stadium.  32:45 and more Mexican players flopping.   5 seconds earlier, they knocked Bobby Wood on a fast  break down hard, and instead of rolling about, he got up quick, retrieved the ball, and kept going.  They chopped his stride down with a sliding tackle. 

[Forever Fulham]

Beasley looks seriously injured. Stretcher coming.  Knee cap, I think.  No, he's limping off.  37:55.

Ream playing well. 

[Forever Fulham]

60:57 mark and an observation or two:  Ream is doing an excellent job of isolating attackers like Dos Santos, steering and shouldering them away from the danger area.  He looks stronger, fitter. 

Arriola out and Nagbe (!) in.  63:57.  Couldn't come soon enough.  There was a red card in Arriola's future for sure. 

Mexico is not bossing this game.  Not at all. 

[Forever Fulham]

68:15  Ream is steady and sure.  The high altitude should start to take its toll on the Yanks, but I'm not seeing it take effect yet.  70:00 Ream and Beasley on a crossbar rebound, smothering further chance by Mexico.  73:27--gorgeous distance shot by Bradley, barely parried away by the Mexican keeper.  Still 1-1

[Forever Fulham]

80:13  U.S. no longer pressing.  5-4-1 formation.  Altidore on now and he's getting held at every opportunity.   82:27--Ream excellent play, shut down attacker. 

[Forever Fulham]

What's with these American Outlaws traveling fans?  Looks more like a cosplay convention than a fans' section.

[Forever Fulham]

89:06, 1-1,  and Mexican fans are leaving!   U.S. more than holding its own.

[Forever Fulham]

30 secs left in stoppage time.   Ream heads away a centering pass. 

[Forever Fulham]

Full Time.  1-1 tie in Mexico.  Only the third time ever.  I'm really liking what I see from Bruce Arena.  Who else watched this in real time with me?

[love4ffc]

Ok jumping in to this conversation late. 

Bruce Arena is to the States as Southgate is to England.  Noncreative, defensive minded and will only pick established known players.  Was really surprised he picked Pulosic since he isn't in his 30's  :005.  Still wish he try Hyndman in the middle with Bradley. 

Game over all was back and fourth.  I would not say either team dominated.  Thought Ream did a good job with Gonzalez.  Bradley's goal was excellent and world class. We extremely lucky not to have several players receive yellows making them ineligible for the next game and that Mexican player who came in deliberately with the high elbow in the beginning was lucky not to get a red.  Will be interesting to see how the video ref is excepted.  In up coming competitions.   

[YankeeJim]

This game was typical CONCACAF. Green falls down, FOUL! US falls down, play on!. I think the Mexican mafia threatens any ref that might dare call a deliberate elbow to Bobby Woods face. Credit to him for soldiering on. I was happy to see my favorite yank of all times, DaBeas get the start. Other than being hung out to dry by Cameron, he held his own. One doesn't see many 47 year old players get handed the start. Bradley had a good match, first time in the last half dozen.
Don, Arena is indeed a defensive coach and for this game, it was needed. Your always playing against 12 any where south of the Rio Grande. To his credit he started 4 youngsters against Mexico. Five if you count  DaBeas. LOL
This almost certainly means we'll make Russia. Now, My kingdom for a striker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Forever Fulham]

For the record, it was former Fulham defender Carlos Saucedo (one of my favourites) who threw that nasty elbow.  Done with bad intentions.  Impossible for the ref not to have seen it.  Yet no card.  I was never a huge fan of Bruce Arena, but I'm coming around.   He baffled Mexico with his lineup.  Seven different players started who weren't in the immediately previous int'l match, befuddling the best laid plans of the Mexican national team manager.  Even the playing style was fresh.  Seemed like the players had totally bought into what he wanted and were prepared.  How unlike under Klinsmann. 

[YankeeJim]

I've read several reports on how Arena told the team what he wanted to do against Meh He Ko weeks ago while Klinsman often wouldn't even give the team an idea until he named the formation.