Mexico vs USA
- Gold Cup final and Mexicans way overrated here. Not sure how the bookies and public always fail to realize the USA is just simply the better footballing nation now, at the Senior level I mean, but they do and now getting odds of 3+ on USA in Los Angeles is ridiculous. Outside of Mexico City the US have lost to Mexico just one time in the past 12 years (9-2-1) which was the 5-0 drubbing that Mexico handed the USA in the Gold Cup final 2009. While a very impressive result and certainly the coming out party of Guardardo, Vela, and Dos Santos people somehow forget that the USA was using their C team in that tournament. The regulars placed 2nd at the Confederations Cup the week before Gold Cup 2009 started so were rested as a group of World Cup qualifying matches were set for August and September. If anything, it showed the USA's footballing prominence to actually reach the finals but no way guys like Jay Heaps, Logan Pause, Colin Clark, Michael Parkhurst, Heath Pearce, and Troy Perkins could match the great attacking talent of El Tri. No doubt that Mexico boast the best offensive ability in CONCACAF by a wide margin but their defense is more than shaky, goaltending a joke, and coaching always a question mark. They attacked Honduras early on but once the game got into flow the boys in Blue were certainly no worse than equal to El Tri. Class won out in extra time but it was hardly a good performance.
Ever since the hour mark of the first Panama game the USA have been the best team in the tournament. They haven't allowed a goal now in 324' and hardly allowed any SOG. Guadeloupe and Jamaica both had one early chance but that was their only chance of the match. While defensively they're tops in CONCACAF they don't have a good striker at all but will revert likely to a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1. If you remember USA from Confederations Cup and World Cup they love to counter attack. They'll be more than happy to give 2/3 possession to El Tri because they know that the counter style is their best formation. Teams in CONCACAF largely lay back in defense and make the USA break them down which is why you see these 1-0 and 2-0 scorelines. Of course with any finishing ability at all the USA would have beat Panama 4-2 in first match, likely beat Guadeloupe 6-0, and Jamaica at least 4-0. But the fact is the USA are terrible finishers even if they create a lot of chances with the biggest offender being Clint Dempsey who should easily be top scorer of the tourney. If Andres Guardado can't go in the finals after spraining his ankle vs Honduras, these odds become even more valuable as he's been the best player in the tournament. Even if he does play, doing so on a sprained ankle should limit his effectiveness. Still, Mexico have Chicharito and the central defense pairing of Goodson/Bocanegra simply can't match his quickness. They'll play very retreated, likely 4-2-3-1, and ask Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones to help out in defense. I see a low scoring tactical match and I'll take a shot with the counter attacking ability of Dempsey and Donovan. Mexico showed against Honduras that they do not respond well to a physical style and Jones is probably the hardest defensive midfielder to play against in the region. Should be a great match but how in the world the USA are 3+ outsiders on US soil is beyond me.
United States 2u +225
- Gold Cup final and Mexicans way overrated here. Not sure how the bookies and public always fail to realize the USA is just simply the better footballing nation now, at the Senior level I mean, but they do and now getting odds of 3+ on USA in Los Angeles is ridiculous. Outside of Mexico City the US have lost to Mexico just one time in the past 12 years (9-2-1) which was the 5-0 drubbing that Mexico handed the USA in the Gold Cup final 2009. While a very impressive result and certainly the coming out party of Guardardo, Vela, and Dos Santos people somehow forget that the USA was using their C team in that tournament. The regulars placed 2nd at the Confederations Cup the week before Gold Cup 2009 started so were rested as a group of World Cup qualifying matches were set for August and September. If anything, it showed the USA's footballing prominence to actually reach the finals but no way guys like Jay Heaps, Logan Pause, Colin Clark, Michael Parkhurst, Heath Pearce, and Troy Perkins could match the great attacking talent of El Tri. No doubt that Mexico boast the best offensive ability in CONCACAF by a wide margin but their defense is more than shaky, goaltending a joke, and coaching always a question mark. They attacked Honduras early on but once the game got into flow the boys in Blue were certainly no worse than equal to El Tri. Class won out in extra time but it was hardly a good performance.
Ever since the hour mark of the first Panama game the USA have been the best team in the tournament. They haven't allowed a goal now in 324' and hardly allowed any SOG. Guadeloupe and Jamaica both had one early chance but that was their only chance of the match. While defensively they're tops in CONCACAF they don't have a good striker at all but will revert likely to a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1. If you remember USA from Confederations Cup and World Cup they love to counter attack. They'll be more than happy to give 2/3 possession to El Tri because they know that the counter style is their best formation. Teams in CONCACAF largely lay back in defense and make the USA break them down which is why you see these 1-0 and 2-0 scorelines. Of course with any finishing ability at all the USA would have beat Panama 4-2 in first match, likely beat Guadeloupe 6-0, and Jamaica at least 4-0. But the fact is the USA are terrible finishers even if they create a lot of chances with the biggest offender being Clint Dempsey who should easily be top scorer of the tourney. If Andres Guardado can't go in the finals after spraining his ankle vs Honduras, these odds become even more valuable as he's been the best player in the tournament. Even if he does play, doing so on a sprained ankle should limit his effectiveness. Still, Mexico have Chicharito and the central defense pairing of Goodson/Bocanegra simply can't match his quickness. They'll play very retreated, likely 4-2-3-1, and ask Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones to help out in defense. I see a low scoring tactical match and I'll take a shot with the counter attacking ability of Dempsey and Donovan. Mexico showed against Honduras that they do not respond well to a physical style and Jones is probably the hardest defensive midfielder to play against in the region. Should be a great match but how in the world the USA are 3+ outsiders on US soil is beyond me.
United States 2u +225
