Hold on, let’s backtrack for a second. Our captain got sent off? Again? Did I seriously type that? Isn’t he supposed to be the one that sets the example for the rest of the team? If there’s anyone on the team that should be keeping their cool, it should be him, especially him. The USA vs. Mexico match isn’t the place to practice your karate, nor to pretend you’re Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Why can’t Rafa play with the same level of professionalism that he plays at the club level? Is it too much to ask of him to keep his cool? We may all despise the USMNT during these matches, but we can’t act like children during these matches. What kind of example are you setting, Rafa?

I don’t get Rafa Márquez, I just don’t.

Jeez, Rafa

Any player would be under fire if they pulled off an assault like this one, but what makes this even more disappointing is that the captain is the culprit for this. He obviously set a bad example after playing such a good game. This isn’t the first time that something like this happened in these matches: remember the incident with Cobi Jones (which we all kinda wanted to do)?, This is also his 4th overall red card for the Tricolor.

Let’s just see the circumstances surrounding Rafa when he played this match. Actually, I’ll call them excuses:

-Rafa is jetlagged and bored. The FMF have always been boneheads (or cheapskates) when booking flights. The players take flights with stops and long waits in between. I don’t doubt that there were flight problems for the European-based players and arriving in a cold place after many hours on a plane and in an airport, is no help to anyone’s mood.

-Rafa isn’t in the mood to play in the CONCACAF. This goes with the claim that he’s “too good” for the team, and in a way he was the only true world-class player on the pitch. If his ego really is as big as claimed, he just wanted to get the game over with and get the hell back to Barcelona.

-Rafa is no different than anyone else on the team during these matches. Yeah, he may be the captain and the country’s best player, but that doesn’t mean that he has the ability to keep cool during these matches, even though he should.

There may be controversy over whether he deserves the armband or not anymore, but as for the playing aspect, there’s no way that Rafa Márquez can be excluded from the squad. You don’t not call up a starting player at Barcelona. He may not play with the same hunger as he does at Barca, but there’s too much quality in him to cut out from the team. Don’t forget that he’s still a great free kick taker and is a threat during set pieces. Don’t forget his long-ball.

Rafa apologized after the match, with the expected excuses: “I lost my head” “I’m very sorry for this”. Let’s put it this way, this match is as important in North America as “El Clásico” is in Spain. You don’t convert a nationality into a voodoo doll if this game wasn’t this intense. If he pulled this crap at Barcelona during a Clasico, the picky Barca fans would destroy him, then the club would ship his ass to Atlético Madrid.* Why would he do it in La Seleccion?

I think that it’s because he doesn’t take the National Team seriously. This goes back to the notion that he’s better than the rest of the team, and his place is as good as secure on the National team. In Barcelona, where Guardiola goes as far to bench key players at random times, Rafa’s place on the team has to be earned, which he does a good job of. Guardiola and the rest of FC Barcelona are hard-asses and Sven and the FMF aren’t. Where does he perform at his best? Barca, simple as that.

Maybe his two-game suspension will be more than enough to do him good. In a time when Mexico should have been gaining momentum for the World Cup, we are instead succumbing to disappointment from the entire team and the federation especially. Our captain should have been a true captain during the match. Mexico doesn’t need or deserve this.

This post is inspired by this letter from Medio Tiempo. It’s a fantastic read if you know Spanish. If not, throw it into Babelfish or something, it’s very interesting.

*I apologize for the shameless plug

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.

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.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)-For the clash against Osasuna Marquez was left out because of suspension. Barca won the clash 3-2.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco did not feature in Villarreal’s 3-3 against Valencia.

AndresGuardado(Deportivo La Coruna)-Guardado played 75 mins before being replaced. Deportivo lost the game but Guardado provided the assist in their 1-3 loss.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Bravo has been getting more time and in the 1-3 loss against Sevilla he played 25 mins.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico De Madrid)- Atletico fell this week to Athletic Bilbao 2-3. The team currently resides in 5th place.

Hugo Sanchez(Almeria) - It’s crazy to think, but Hugo Sanchez went back to Spain…as a coach. His squad drew this week against Espanyol and sit in 15th place.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Little Carlos seems to have a strong impact whenever he comes on by breathing a new life into the team and this weekend was no different. He played 26 mins and had a great shot on goal as the Gunners won 1-0 against Bolton.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Spurs continues to tank and along with them Gio goes. They lost this weekend to Wigan and now sit in the 18th spot. A move for Gio looms on the horizon.

Nery Castillo (ManCity)-After completing the year long loan to Man City, Nery has returned to Shaktar who still holds his future in his hands.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)
-Pardo will no longer feature in this section as he has moved back to Mexico to play with team America. He had a good run in Germany, winning the Bundesliga in his first season(06-07) and playing in the Champions League(07-08).

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-The Bundesliga is currently on break.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-Like Pardo, Galindo decided to ply his trade somewhere else and returned to Mexico to join Chivas. Unlike Pardo, he did not win anything but he had started to secure a starting spot before making the move.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-The Eredivisie has not yet resumed but there are strong rumors surrounding Salcido and his desire to leave the team because of problems with the coaches.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-Like his compadre, Maza also has expressed his wish to move on because his lack of playing time has cost him a place on the national team.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)- The only one currently in the Netherlands who seems to be content where he is, Moreno is out for about 2 more months after suffering from an injury. AZ are currently on top of the table.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Ankarasapor)-Did not have any activity.

Greece

Jaime Durán(Skoda Xanthi)-Duran moved to Greece from Morelia and will be there for the next 6 months. Good Luck.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)- He was pegged to do more in El Classico but the Kaiser still had an awesome game without any trouble. Marquez featured in his 200th match for Barca, played all 90 mins, received a yellow in the 40′, and helped Barca to a 2-0 win over Real Madrid. They now sit as sole leaders on top of the La Liga Table.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)- Villarreal lost 0-1 to Sevilla this weekend while El Guille returned to the side to play 15 mins in the game. The Yellow Sub is now 4th in the standings.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo)- Guardado played all 90mins as Depor lost 3-0 to Vallalodid .

Omar Bravo(Deportivo)- Omar Bravo has been getyting more time in games and this time he was introduced 60 mins into the game. Depor sit in 7th place after the loss to Vallalodid.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico)-Atleti’s win this weekend against Betis showed that at the moment El Vasco’s team are the best in Madrid. They jumped over their rivals to sit in the 5th spot.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Vela did not feature in the game against Middlesborough in which the Gunners tied 1-1 but he did make the bench for the game.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)- Still recovering from his ankle injury but in the mean time he’s doing what every other recovering footballer does at the team Christmas party…getting crunk.

Nery Castillo(Man City)-Not getting crunk in public and waiting for the transfer window to open.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)-Pardo did not play this week against Bayern Munich as he has still not fully recovered from his muscular problems.

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-Osorio played all 90 mins as Stuttgart tied 2-2 against 2nd place Bayern Munich.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-Aaron Galindo returned back to the side after being punished for arriving back late from his tour in Mexico with El Tri. He played all 90 mins as Frankfurt lost to Hamburg.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Salcido played all 90 mins against Vitesse Arnhem as PSV continue to slide away.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)- Maza was an unused sub in the 1-1 draw against Vitesse.

Aaron Galindo(AZ Alkaamar)-Poor Aaron. He had a good run going as AZ Alkaamar currently sit as the sole leaders of the Eredivisie. He had cemented down a starting place in the first team and had put in some solid performances but this weekend he suffered a foot fracture that is set to have him out for 2 to 3 months. Moreno was injured in the 20th min in the game that saw Alkaamar win 1-0 over Feyenoord. Speedy Recovery!

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Anaranksapor)- De Nigris didn’t play as his team won 2-0 against Denizlispor.

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)-

Great game from the Kaiser, who controlled Villa very well.

That’s the very description at Barca’s offside page. Marquez played all 90 mins in the 4-0 win over Valencia. Next week, El Classico.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-El Guille did not see any action this week in The Yellow Sub’s 3-3 draw against Getafe.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)- Guardado played 59 mins before he was taken off during the 2-0 win over Malaga.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Bravo finally scored although it was via penalty. He converted from the spot during the 69th min. He played 45 mins.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico De Madrid)- Aguirre’s Atleti were called “Lethal” by El Mundo Deportivo and that’s just what they were as they put 5 past Gijon this weekend for a 5-2 win. They sit in 6th place tied with Deportivo.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)- Carlos Vela did not play in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wigan.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Is still getting better from his ankle injury.

Nery Castillo(Man City)-Should I even mention Nery Castillo anymore? Maybe it’s better to wait until we know where he is headed off to.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)- Pardo has been having some muscular problems. He is hoped to recover for the games against Bayern and Liege.

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)- Osorio played all 90 mins in the win over Energie Cottbus.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-After cementing a place in the first team squad, Galindo is now experiencing punishment because he reported back late after his participation with El Tri.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Salcido played 90 mins in the 4-0 win over Groningen.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-Maza was an unused sub.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkamaar)-Moreno played all 90 mins in the 2-0 win over Heracles that sees AZ take sole leadership of the Eredivisie table.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Anaranksapor)-Didn’t play in the 3-1 win over Besiktas.

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)- Had a very solid performance as Barca beat Sevilla 3-0. He played all 90 mins and received a yellow in the 61st.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)- Did not play in the Yellow Sub’s 2-1 win over Recreativo.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna
)-Guardado played well this week against Almeria and provided 1 assist in the game.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Did not play this weekend.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Carlos Vela stayed on the bench this week during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Is still recovering from an ankle injury.

Nery Castillo(Man City)-Nery’s just lying low for a while until the January transfer window opens up where he will most likely end up somewhere in La Liga.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)-Pardo played all 90 mins in the 2-0 win over Schalke.

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-Osorio played all 90 mins in the weekend win over Schalke.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-Galindo was an unused substitute during the huge defeat by Werder Bremen. He missed out on a 5-0 game.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)--Salcido played all 90 mins in the 2-2 draw against Heerenveen.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-El Maza played 81 mins against Heerenveen.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)-Moreno played all 90 mins in the 2-0 win over Groningen. He also received a yellow card.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Anaranksapor)- This week De Nigris played for 20 mins as his team lost 1-0 against Ankaragucu.

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)-Did not play in Barca’s 1-1 draw against Getafe. Barca is still top of the league with 29 points and will play Sporting midweek in the Champions League.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-Franco played all 90 mins as the Yellow Submarine was sunk by 3 Vallalodid goals.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)-Guardado played all 90 mins and scored a goal in Deportivo’s 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Bravo did not play in Deportivo’s 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. Depor now sit 7th in La Liga with 18 points and tied with Atletico Madrid.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico Madrid)-Atleti tied 1-1 this week against Numancia and are gearing to go for the midweek clash against PSV that will be played behind closed doors. Atleti are now 6th in La Liga.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Arsenal’s outside problems(Billy Gallas, I’m looking at you) continued on to the field as Arsenal lost 0-3 against Manchester City. Vela played 20 mins in the clash.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)-Gio was still out for the Spur’s 1-0 win against Blackburn.

Nery Castillo(Man City)-Trying to find Nery Castillo’s whereabouts is like finding Waldo…it’s almost impossible. He did not play for Manchester City this weekend as they beat Arsenal 3-1.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)- Pardo did not play this week because he was given a break after coming back to Germany after international duty.

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-After scoring a goal in Mexico’s loss against Honduras in WC qualifying, Osorio did not play in Stuttgart’s 1-4 loss against vfL Wolfsburg.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-Galindo did not feature in his team’s 4-0 win over Hannover.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Salcido played 67 mins in PSV’s 4-0 win over Heracles Almelo.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)-Maza opened up his scoring account in the Netherlands with a shot outside the area that gave PSV a 1-0 lead. He scored in the 15th min in PSV’s 4-0 win.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)-Moreno played all 90 mins in his team’s 2-0 win over Ajax. AZ Alkaamar now sits on top of the table.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Anaranksapor)-De Nigris played in the goalless draw against Galatasaray. His team now sits 2nd in the Turkish league.

Spain

Rafael Marquez(Barcelona)-Marquez had a very good game. He showed up at the right time and is at a high level this season. Barcelona is looking like the best team in the world at the moment and Marquez is part of that solid defense. The game against Recreativo Huelva didn’t provide as many goals as previous games have accustomed us to expect but it was sold nonetheless. 2-0. Marquez played all 90 mins and Barcelona are now top of the table.

Guillermo Franco(Villarreal)-El Guille Franco only played 14 mins in the game against Malaga in which the Yellow Submarine drew 2-2.

Andres Guardado(Deportivo La Coruna)- After last week’s impressive game, Depor went slightly down and lost 4-1 to Atletico. Guardado played all 90 mins.

Omar Bravo(Deportivo La Coruna)-Bravo only made the bench for the game. Midweek he scored his first goal for Deportivo.

Javier Aguirre(Atletico De Madrid)-Atleti won this week 4-1 against Deportivo. Great result for an Atleti that has been up and down.

England

Carlos Vela(Arsenal)-Vela played 22 mins. He had a pretty good game. He had a superb moment of magic in which he chested down the ball for Adebayor. The ball didn’t seem to want to go into the back of the net and Arsenal lost 2-0 to Aston Villa. Right before the second goal Carlos was fouled at the edge of the area but the ref didn’t call it and that led to the goal for Aston Villa. Otherwise it was at a very dangerous position. Midweek he scored an incredible goal against Wigan.

Giovanni Dos Santos(Tottenham)- Gio is currently out with a knee injury. Spurs lost 2-1 against Fulham.

Nery Castillo(Manchester City)- Nery is MIA for Man City and is currently with the Seleccion.

Germany

Pavel Pardo(Stuttgart)- Pardo played all 90 mins in Stuttgart’s 0-0 tie against Arminia Belefield.

Ricardo Osorio(Stuttgart)-Played all 90 mins.

Aaron Galindo(Eintracht Frankfurt)-Eintracht lost 4-0 against Borussia Dortmund and Galindo played all 90 mins.

Netherlands

Carlos Salcido(PSV)-Salcido played all 90 mins in the loss to rivals Ajax. The Dutch champs lost 4-1 to Ajax and it wasn’t the Mexican pair’s best day.

Maza Rodriguez(PSV)- Maza played all 90 mins but was humiliated in the 4-1 loss to Ajax.

Hector Moreno(AZ Alkaamar)-Moreno played all 90 mins in the game against Vitesse where the teams tied 0-0.

Turkey

Antonio De Nigris(Anaranksapor)-Anaranksapor lost 2-0 against Fenerbahce.

Everyone gather around as I prepare to tell a story about my mom. My family is full of a bunch of soccer fanatics. This week La Seleccion came to play a friendly against Ecuador near my home. Sadly, this was at an unfortunate time. Any other time the family would have piled up into the car and headed towards the stadium. This time we had the trouble of choosing whether to watch the Chivas game or the Mexico game. This turned out to be a clear case of club vs country. The Club won out. Also, there was a phone call that we were dreading to receive. Unfortunately, my grandfather had been very sick and well we were expecting the dreaded phone call. So we kept away from the game just in case. The night passed and my grandfather did not make it(RIP). So early that morning my mom had to catch an early flight out to her family and at the same time she was at the airport ticketing and all that jazz the Seleccion turned up. She chatted with all of them(or so she tells me) and even made Ochoa blush. Turns out no one at the airport gave a hoot about who they were. A couple of fans did follow them there but they weren’t allowed very far past airport security.

So as they went in to catch their flight my mom took pictures with a few of them. Security asked what the big deal was with these guys and my mom explained who they were and what they had been there for. And she explained who the guy in front of her was(Memo Ochoa). We hate America but my mom obviously has a small crush on the goalkeeper and she said he was the best in Latin America, blah blah. She then translated what she’d said and she claims that he laughed and his face became flushed. She saw “the brow” as well but didn’t take any photos with him. My mother does not like Nery at all so she bypassed that opportunity. She also took a picture with a big group although she couldn’t tell exactly who they were. All she remembers is telling them as the players went by to come over and take a picture. I’m sure airport security thought she was crazy for grabbing them randomly and forcing everyone to stare into her cell phone forcing them to say “cheese”. So in a way my grandfather left her a small gift of his own, a brief moment of happiness.

She was with the players for a bit of time while they waited at the departing gate. Luckily, none of the “regulars” were there or I’m sure security would have been called(I’ve been traumatized of encounters with players with her there). If anyone knows how to upload photos from a Sprint cell that’s not hooked up to the internet and the pictures are not saved on a memory card, I’d be glad to share. And if you were wondering, no she did not leave on the same flight. Mexico flies on AeroMexico and she left on a different flight.