Spring Break
USA soccer plays Mexico to a 2-2 tie in Houston
By: Travis Yoesting
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: Sports
It's Rivalry Week on ESPN, but with all due respect to Tobacco Road and the Red River, the biggest rivalry Wednesday night was across the Rio Grande.
While many American sports fans may have been glued to the UNC-Duke match-up or the Texas-OU game, the best rivalry game in North America Wednesday was between USA and Mexico in an international soccer friendly.
But don't let the label 'friendly' fool you. As usual, Wednesday's game was anything but genial.
Mexico and United States played to a 2-2 draw in front of a raucous sold-out crowd of 70,103 in Reliant Stadium in Houston. Between the two teams, six yellow cards were shown, 32 fouls were called and plenty of heated words were exchanged.
The Americans opened up the scoring in the 29th minute after a throw-in from Oguchi Onyewu. Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa swatted the ball across the 18 yard box where Landon Donovan lobbed the ball back across to Onyewu who headed the ball into the net off the far post.
It did not take long for the Mexicans to respond as they scored off a set piece five minutes later. Defender Jonny Magallon's out-stretched leg knocked in a set piece cross into the back of the net.
Mexico dominated the time of possession for much of the game and outshot the U.S. 13-3 forcing goalkeeper Tim Howard to make six saves in the game.
In the 40th minute, however, 18-year-old Jozy Altidore headed in a cross from Drew Moor to give the Americans a 2-1 lead.
The play started when Bobby Convey took a long pass from Howard into open space on a counterattack. Indecision slowed down the attack before he passed to the coach's son Michael Bradley who switched the ball to Moor who sent in the cross.
"It was nice to see Jozy get his first goal," US Men's National Team coach Bob Bradley told ESPN after the game.
Bradley went on to say it was good for Altidore to play all 90 minutes in a game like this and that although he was tired, it was a good stepping stone for the youngster.
While many American sports fans may have been glued to the UNC-Duke match-up or the Texas-OU game, the best rivalry game in North America Wednesday was between USA and Mexico in an international soccer friendly.
But don't let the label 'friendly' fool you. As usual, Wednesday's game was anything but genial.
Mexico and United States played to a 2-2 draw in front of a raucous sold-out crowd of 70,103 in Reliant Stadium in Houston. Between the two teams, six yellow cards were shown, 32 fouls were called and plenty of heated words were exchanged.
The Americans opened up the scoring in the 29th minute after a throw-in from Oguchi Onyewu. Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa swatted the ball across the 18 yard box where Landon Donovan lobbed the ball back across to Onyewu who headed the ball into the net off the far post.
It did not take long for the Mexicans to respond as they scored off a set piece five minutes later. Defender Jonny Magallon's out-stretched leg knocked in a set piece cross into the back of the net.
Mexico dominated the time of possession for much of the game and outshot the U.S. 13-3 forcing goalkeeper Tim Howard to make six saves in the game.
In the 40th minute, however, 18-year-old Jozy Altidore headed in a cross from Drew Moor to give the Americans a 2-1 lead.
The play started when Bobby Convey took a long pass from Howard into open space on a counterattack. Indecision slowed down the attack before he passed to the coach's son Michael Bradley who switched the ball to Moor who sent in the cross.
"It was nice to see Jozy get his first goal," US Men's National Team coach Bob Bradley told ESPN after the game.
Bradley went on to say it was good for Altidore to play all 90 minutes in a game like this and that although he was tired, it was a good stepping stone for the youngster.
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