The rivals will meet exactly 17 days after playing in the final of the just-ended Gold Cup competition. While the Americans will be seeking for revenge after suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat against El Tri, Javier Aguirre will want to see his side ameliorate their chances of reaching the finals of the World Cup.
The situation couldn’t have been more thrilling for Mexico. Midway through the campaign, El Tri stand out of the guaranteed zone with only 6 points from 5 games and four points behind the USA who are second in the table.
Now, Mexico will meet their hottest rivals in a must-win game.
Looking at the table and mathematically, the Americans look far more comfortable than the Mexicans. However, the final of the Gold Cup certainly added a new twist in the tale.
Mexico are fresh from a successful and dramatic Gold Cup adventure which they terminated with an historic and resounding 5-0 victory over the Yankees (who were ‘untouchable’ before that). But Javier Aguirre will make sure to keep the feet of his players on the ground as they need to face the great challenge of making it to the finals of the World Cup in South Africa.
The former Atletico de Madrid manager has called up twelve players from the squad that featured in the just-ended Gold Cup tournament into Mexico’s roster; those include goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, as well as youngsters Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela who were vital in the team’s triumph last month.
One player who will not take part in this titanic clash despite being called up by the coach Javier Aguirre is Barcelona’s defender Rafael Marquez. The 30-year-old just picked up a calf injury during training with his Spanish club; that will take him out of action for at least two weeks. So how will Mexico fare out against the USA without the likes of their captain, Rafael Marquez?
The Americans could use his absence to push the Mexicans all the way down in revenge for their 5-0 defeat in the final of the Gold Cup recently. However, history also tells that the USA have never managed a victory in Azteca.
Perhaps August 12 will be the moment for the Americans to break this curse. But for the Mexicans who are struggling to reach South Africa, one thing is sure: if the USA indeed win in Azteca come August 12, it may be the worst time for them to lose this record.
Failing to grab all three points on Wednesday will almost see the newly-crowned champions of the CONCACAF region out of the World Cup in 2010.
