There were two goals. One was a penalty at the end of the first half, which frankly, I don’t think it should have been called. I’ve been looking at replays and I still don’t see it. Anyways, Luis Noriega stepped up and scored giving Mexico the 1-0 advantage.

In the second half things weren’t looking good either. It wasn’t until the 85th minute that Mexico scored a goal on their own. Medina sent in a cross and Barrera was there to put it in for a 2-0 win.

Again, I don’t think there’s much to say about this game. The team has been severely disappointing these past few games. Yes, the defense has kept clean sheets, but really? It’s been against “little” teams so they shouldn’t exactly been celebrating that fact.

Something that’s very unfortunate is Vela’s injury. He’s been having trouble scoring, but with this injury, it looks to dampen his confidence perhaps. Hopefully he recovers.

Next up is Panama on Thursday for which I’m predicting a similar game. The team will play in Houston at the Reliant Stadium.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)- Barca destroyed Real Madrid 6-2 in El Classico. On the same day Marquez had a surgery on his meniscus that looks to keep him out for at least 3 months. However, as Barca look to win La Liga, and hopefully advance to the Finals of the Champions League he can be proud to know that he was an important component during the season.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco wasn’t able to overcome an injury and was kept out of the squad for the 2-0 loss against Sevilla. This is Franco’s last season with Villarreal.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo)-Guardado played all 84 mins against Vallalodid as Depor won 1-0. The team sits in 7th place.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria)-Hugo accomplished what he was hired to do and saved the team from relegation with a 2-0 win over Racing Santander this weekend. Almeria sit in 10th place.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)- Vela played all 90 mins in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Portsmouth this weekend. The Gunners have now cemented their finish in 4th and will look to challenge for third as well as going for a place in the Champions League Final hopefully beating Man U in the semis. After being quarantined early in the week for having visitors from Mexico and the scare of the H1N1 flu, Vela was selected for this weekend’s game. He terrorized the Portsmouth defense with his speed. Vela also scored his first goal with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Ipswich)- Gio played 64 mins in the 2-1 win over Coventry City, scoring the first goal.

Germany

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)- Osorio has been ruled out for the rest of the season. Stuttgart drew 2-2 against Arminia Bielefield.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)- Carlos Salcido played all 90 minutes in the 1-1 against NEC Nijmegen. The team will not be in the Champions League this season.

strong>Maza Rodriguez(PSV)- Maza stayed on the bench during the last game of the season.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)- Champions of the Eredivisie. Moreno is still recovering from injury.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankaragucu)- De Nigris didn’t play in his team’s 1-0 win.

Ukraine

Nery Castillo(Shakhtar)- Nery didn’t even make the bench in his team’s 1-0 win over Kryvbas Krivyi Rig. Shakhtar will face Dynamo Kiev in the semis of the Uefa Cup this week.

Ricardo Osorio has also undergone knee surgery to correct a knee injury that he’d picked up while on international duty. The Stuttgart player had repeatedly made his way on to the bench, but never went on the field because he wasn’t deemed fully fit. He will miss the rest of the season too.

And some good news. Carlos Vela was placed under quarantine by Arsenal management after receiving visitors from Mexico in the previous week. It was merely a precaution and he was given the all clear to participate in the game against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Giovani Dos Santos will go back to England because he failed to get better from his muscular injury.

Edgar Castillo will not travel because he lost his passport. He wasn’t able to get the proper documents, and nothing could be done to expedite the process.

Ricardo Osorio came down with a stomach infection due to something he ate and during the night had strong pains. Now he will not be able to travel. My guess, he ate one a taco from one of the street vendors outside of the Azteca.

Good news is that Carlos Salcido and Carlos Vela have finished serving out their suspensions and will make up part of the 22 players who travel to Honduras for the game on Wednesday.

In his place Sven has called Edgar Castillo of America.

Carlos Salcido, who also came over with an injury has been ruled fit to play for the game against Honduras. He will miss the game against Costa Rica because he is serving out his 1 game suspension.

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)- Barcelona had a 6 goal romp over Malaga this weekend and Marquez participated the whole 90 mins. He didn’t score, but did help keep a clean sheet.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco did not play in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo)- Andres Guardado is on the way back from injury and this weekend he played 76 minutes in his team’s 1-1 draw against Real Betis.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria)-Hugol’s dreams of beating Real Madrid were crushed this weekend as Almeria suffered a 3-0 loss.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)- Carlos Vela remained on the bench as Arsenal defeated Newcastle 3-1 and established their hold on 4th place.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Ipswich)- Gio played 26 minutes before getting off due to an injury. He’ll travel to Mexico to get it checked out before the qualifiers.

Germany

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)- Osorio did not play in Stuttgart’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)- Carlos Salcido played 65 minutes in the 2-0 win over Vitesse before coming off with a hip injury. It’s still not certain whether he will participate in the WC qualifiers.

strong>Maza Rodriguez(PSV)- Maza did not play in the game.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)- AZ Alkaamar drew 0-0 against Feyenoord as Moreno continues his recovery.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankaragucu)- De Nigris played 84 minutes in his team’s 2-0 defeat against Kayserispor.

Ukraine

Nery Castillo(Shaktar)- Nery played 12 minutes in Shaktar’s 1-0 win.

Although many were sure that it was Mexico’s turn to FINALLY win the CONCACAF Classico in American territory, overall, the team did not do that bad. The scoreline of 2-0 in favor of the US does not accurately represent the action of the game, but in the end the best team won.

Pre-Game
Before the game started there were some concerns on whether it was going to be carried out or not. Thunderstorms were rolling in and lightening was a possibility. The Columbus Crew stadium was deemed an easy conductor for the weather and safety issues were at review. Cameras were shown to have been toppled over by the strong winds but despite the weather, fans continued to poor into the stadium. In the end, the pitch was deemed playable as were the conditions and the game presumed as normal although it was a possibility that the game would have been stopped if any more of the bad weather came rolling back in.

Line-ups
United States
Howard
Hedjuk
Bocanegra
Onyewu
Pearce
Beasley
Kljestan (Clark 86′)
Dempsey
Donovan
Ching (Altidore 83′)

Mexico
Sanchez
Galindo
Marquez
Salcido
Osorio
Augusto
Medina (Sinha 60′)
Pardo
Dos Santos (Bravo 72′)
Castillo (Martinez 34′)
Ochoa

First Half

The wind was very strong in the beginning of the game and it was noticeable that the US was the one with the advantage. They had less trouble adjusting to the speeds and Mexico’s early possession came to a halting stop within the first minute.

Right away in the second minute Ochoa had the ball which then fell to Nery Castillo. Castillo shot but it rebounded to Gio who tried to take a shot despite the surprise that overtook him as he saw the ball coming this way.

By the tenth minute we were attacking quite well and did not seem to be suffering as it was intended by the climate conditions. Our passing was sloppy but we were getting up to the front. And, despite the fact that we were in Columbus, Ohio many supporters showed up to support El Tricolor. As always, when there’s a national team game anywhere in the world, Mexico is always there to support the boys.

In the 12th min Clint Dempsey had a good chance but fired wide. Beasley, who played well in the game and was one of the most threatening players, crossed the ball that was intended for Brian Ching, only for it to be cleared out by El Capitan Marquez.

Then, in the 17th min Medina who had a good game on his side as well, made a run down the left only to get stuck on the water logged pitch. He had many opportunities like this throughout the game and it seemed like that side was the most troublesome to work on.

As if the players didn’t realize, Aaron Galindo made an unnecessary foul outside the area. Donovan took the free kick which came close to the posts.

In the 22nd the US again looked dangerous. Hedjuk came close but was eventually called offsides.

Finally in the 29th we made another good effort. Gio made a run and gave it to Ochoa, who ended up wasting a chance. His goalscoring form he had with Chivas did not come with him to Ohio.

On the counterattack from the previous play by Mexico, Dempsey made a good shot that was stopped by Sanchez. The ball went back out to dangerous US players, but Galindo made sure to clear the ball out. The defense was playing well and up until then we hadn’t been in any terrible danger.

Bad turned worse after Castillo determined that he couldn’t go on. In the 34th min Nery had to be replaced by Martinez with an injury to the right leg. Castillo had stopped playing professional football for about a year and had recently been recalled to Shaktar again and had started to have continuity. This is going to put a set back to his plans but hopefully the progress that he’s made can continue once he returns in about a month.

From the 35th until about the 40th min Mexico had a string of shots but all of them ended up nowhere. Howard seemed to have a decent share of the goalkeeper’s luck on this night and he denied Mexico’s shots.

A goal decided to appear in the 42nd but for the wrong team. Sanchez first saved a corner, which eventually found the foot of Bradley via Donovan and Onyewu. The US were 1-0 up by the predicted Mexico killers: the set pieces.

After the goal the Mexican mentality broke down a little and it showed when the US had another close shot in the 44th because of an error in the Mexican defense. Luckily, San Oswaldo managed to get a hand on it to prevent the US from scoring once more.

Half Time

Despite people’s predictions that the US would severely outplay Mexico because of the weather conditions and such the game had been going well for both sides and was an even match. The defense had been stable and the only problem for the Mexican team was the set pieces.

Second Half

The teams came out for the second half with the weather staying the same.

Controversy came in the 65th minute when Gio made a good run only to be pulled down in the box by US defender, Pearce. His shot flew out to Martinez who’s shot went right back to Gio who was laying on the ground appealing for a penalty(and a very clear one at that), but the ball rebounded off Gio’s foot to the opposite side of the net. When Howard caught hold of the ball, Marquez came in with a malicious studs-up tackle on the US keeper. Immediately he was shown the red card. And so, he was able to add another sending off to his list of US departures. The penalty claim for Gio was clearly accurate. Pearce pulled him down by the arm, but the assistant referee didn’t see the play. It should have been awarded and it would have for sure made the game level at 1-1.

We continued to have a few other chances but none of them made any significant difference.

Finally at the games end, Bradley took a shot from far out. The incoming ball bounced funny as it came towards Sanchez and it went past the keeper to give the US a win of 2-0 over Mexico and continue their dominance at home.

Again, the game was much more evenly matched than expected. The first goal didn’t come from open play and as predicted, set pieces killed us. Mexico needs to work on that. The defense overall was solid except for the occasional unnecessary fouls that only caused a few hearts to flutter here and there. They did well cutting off many of the US attacks and once they perfect a few things, it will be one of the assets of the team, especially since that area seems to be the only one that consistently has the same players.

It seems like we were seriously lacking up front. Eriksson keeps on being persistent with Gio who clearly does not have enough experience to be up there in such profile games. I think Gio, along with Vela who is suspended, needs more practice with their club teams and the U-20 before they can truly make the jump and significantly contribute to the El Tri cause. Ochoa, though more experienced, had many laughable misses. His play is inconsistent at best and a more reliable striker is needed up front. Bravo seems like an ideal solution, along with Nery Castillo at times. Both of course lack the match sharpness at the moment due to being out of favor with their clubs.

In the midfield we missed Guardado’s creative play. While Mexico did a decent job in that area of the field we could have used Guardado to make something out of nothing.

As for Marquez…this is yet another expulsion that he can add to his already long list. The tackle was childish and he had no justification. He clearly knew that he could not get to the ball, yet he still deliberately made that studs-up challenge. As one of the best players Mexico has had in a while and captain of the Seleccion, he should have known better. Mexico will now have to make do without him for the match at home against Costa Rica at the Azteca Stadium.

After the game, the cameras quickly ran over to interview Osorio. While speaking he looked like he was on the verge of tears and repeated that it was pride that overtook the game and apologized over and over again.

As all great heroes know, it’s hubris that causes the downfall of all.

But WAIT! UPDATE. Only a few hours after this post, someone has been sacked. On their bday.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)-Marquez came back this week and well, it wasn’t too great. He gave away a penalty during the second half and was dismissed in the dying minutes of the game for his second yellow card. Fortunately for him Barca won the game and remain on top of the league.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco played all 45 mins of the first half only to complain about an injury during half time. He came off for the second during the Villarreal loss to Deportivo. They’re in 5th place.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)-Guardado remains injured.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Bravo’s Spanish woes continue on. He watched his team as they won 3-0 over Villarreal.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico)- Aguirre’s 2009 hasn’t started out well and it continued this weekend as Atletico lost 2-1 to Vallalodid. They’re now in 7th place, behind Deportivo.

And to continue with his not so good start of the year, it turns out that Aguirre has been fired. Al has more on this story here.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria)-Hugo suffered his first loss in la liga to Valencia who won 3-2 over Almeria. Almeria sit in 14th place, 7 points above the relegation zone.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Arsenal continued their unbeaten streak against West Ham United, drawing 0-0. Carlos played 54 mins and received a yellow card for diving. Tsk, tsk.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-During the weeks, many rumours surfaced about Gio’s possible move to Portsmouth. The deal seems to have fallen through on the last day of the transfer window. He was not called up to play against Bolton on Sunday as his team lost 2-3.

Germany

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-Osorio played all 90 mins against Monchengladbach as Stuttgart won 2-0.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Salcido played all 90 mins in PSV’s 3-0 win over De Graafschap.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-Maza was an unused sub for the game.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)-AZ continue their run on the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Rotterdam. Moreno is expected back in about 2 months.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankaragucu)-Yes that’s right. He moved to a new team. And he started out in style. De Nigris is on loan from Ankaraspor for the next 6 months. He scored a goal with his new team and played all 90 mins.

Greece

Jaime Duran(Xanthi)-Duran didn’t play as Xanthi tied 0-0 against Asteras Tripoli.

Ukraine

Nery Castillo(Shaktar)-Since the Ukrainian league is still in recess, Nery Castillo has not had any official action.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona</a-Marquez is currently out injured(injury sustained during the Copa Del Rey) and he is expected to be out until after the clash with the US for World Cup Qualifying. Barcelona won 4-1 against Numancia in the return fixture of La Liga and continue to easily command first place.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)- Franco remained on the bench as he saw his team draw 1-1 against Osasuna.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)-Guardado is still out and he will miss the qualifier against the US.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)- Bravo has failed to make much of a big impression on the Galician side and once again had no activity in the game against Real Madrid in where Deportivo lost 0-1.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico)- Aguirre’s Atletico drew 1-1 against Malaga.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria)- Sanchez has continued his run in La Liga as a coach and this weekend he saw his team pull out a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Carlos did not play in the 0-0 draw in the FA Cup against Cardiff.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Gio has finally made the news for playing football. This weekend he played 45 mins against Manchester United in the FA Cup having one very good chance during his time on the pitch. Spurs lost and they are no longer in the FA Cup.

Germany

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-The Bundesliga is still in winter break.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Carlos Salcido was accused of using the media to get a transfer and this week he silenced his coach’s rants about him with a goal. PSV’s game ended in a 2-2 draw against NAC Breda.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-Maza did not participate in the 2-2 draw against NAC Breda.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)- Moreno is still recuperrating from his injury.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankaraspor)- The player did not play in his team’s 3-0 win and he has strongly indicated that he would like to move away.

Ukraine

Nery Castillo(Shaktar)- The Ukraine league is still on break but Nery played 56 mins in a friendly.

Greece

Jaime Duran(Xanthi)- Duran has no activity in his team’s 1-1 draw.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)- Marquez was an unused substitute in Barca’s 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco played 25 mins in the yellow sub’s 2-0 win over Mallorca.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)-Guardado played 28 mins before Messi ruptured his knee ligament. He will be out for about a month in a half.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)- Bravo did not play in Depor’s 5-0 loss to Barcelona.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico de Madrid)-Aguirre was part of history as he led his side to a draw against Almeria against fellow Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria)-Hugo was the second half of history as the duo became the first pair of Mexicans to face each other off the bench. Hugol’s team drew 1-1 against Atletico.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)- Vela stayed all 90 mins on the bench as Arsenal defeated Hull City 3-1.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Gio had no activity in the Spur’s draw against Portsmouth(1-1)

Germany

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-Is still having a nice winter break until the Bundesliga resumes at the end of January.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Carlos Salcido had no action on the pitch as his team drew 1-1 against Roda JC Kerkrade.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)- Maza did not play in PSV’s draw against Roda JC Kerkrade.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)-Moreno is still out injured from a foot injury in December.

Ukraine

Nery Castillo(Shaktar)-It’s rumoured that Castillo played a friendly game for his new team. He played 67 mins and scored 1 goal.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankaraspor)-The Turkish league has not yet resumed. De Nigris did however try to get a loan to Cruz Azul, but failed to do so because of the Gentlemen’s Agreement that exists between his old club Monterrey and the rest of the Mexican clubs.

Greece

Jaime Rodan(Skoda Xanthi FC)- Duran did not participate with his new club as they drew 1-1 against Larissa.