Preview: The USMNT and Mexico renew their rivalry in Arizona
The heated and historic rivalry between Mexico and the USA will continue on Wednesday night in Arizona. When this friendly fixture was announced, it was looked at as an opportunity to make money.
But from how it looks now, both squads will use this friendly to take a look at some players who have still not cemented their place in the World Cup squad.
Mexican club Peubla have earned themselves some negative attention surrounding Wednesday’s friendly. Since this match is not being played on a designated international day, Puebla have not allowed DeMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco to take part in this historic rivalry.
“We got notice from Puebla that they don’t release Demarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco, which we’d planned on and we are very angry about this because the Mexican clubs release all their players for this very prestigious friendly,” Jurgen Klinsmann said to reporters.
With that said, neither side are at full strength, but when these two countries meet, there is nothing friendly about it.
A new face in the USMNT camp is Bayern Munich’s Julian Green. The 18-year-old opted to represent the United States instead of Germany, and Wednesday he will get his chance to show Klinsmann his capabilities on the pitch.
Seattle Sounders’ DeAndre Yedlin could also earn the start, considering Klinsmann’s lack of depth at the back.
On the offensive side of the ball, if Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley start, it would be the first time they have played together since June of 2012. These three players will generate some buzz around this match, and they should also motivate the younger players on and off the pitch.
The visitors will be without their European players, Javier Hernandez, Giovani dos Santos and Andres Guardado.
El Tri will have a lot of inexperienced players, with the exception of Rafa Marquez and Francisco Javier Rodriguez. Both these veterans have featured more than 30 times for Mexico, unlike their teammates.
Despite the squad they both have available, neither side will want to allow their rival to win. Given the lot of players Klinsmann has, the USMNT should have the edge, but anything is possible in these matches.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch USA vs Mexico live on Wednesday, April 2, 2014:
In the USA at 23:15 ET on: UniMás, Watch ESPN, Univision Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN3, ESPN
For viewers outside the United States, please visit the USA vs Mexico match page for full TV listings of this international friendly.
