The USMNT fans are crucifying Jurgen Klinsmann all over
social media for not delivering a victory against Mexico last night. This
should not come as a surprise given the results and performances from previous
matches in the Gold Cup.
However, Mexico’s performance last night at the Rose Bowl
Stadium was that of an attacking team that wanted nothing but a victory. Their
possession and passing accuracy overrun the Americans. Their ability to move the
ball quickly and read their teammates spaces was fantastic; they seemed the
better athletes running back and forth.
Though in the first half both teams created fairly equal
chances it was Mexico’s dominance that prevailed at the end with a world-class
goal from Paul Aguilar at extra time. It would have been great to watch penalty
kicks but the Mexican squad kept fighting for victory.
The US defenders were not at their best either; their poor
performance helped Mexico’s offense to reward their chances.
Ricardo Ferretti is Mexico’s interim coach but he knows the
game really well and how to mix the pitch with veterans and young talent. It was El Tri’s first victory against
Klinsmann and a deserved one too.
Certainly, we learned that the US vs MEX is one of the best
rivalries of the beautiful game. The usual packed stadium, the back and forth
and tackles, the goals. A fantastic match that usually looks like a final.
With their possession and talent El Tri deserved their
victory this time! But let’s not sack Klismann just yet because something good
might come out in future games.
