Picking an optimal U.S.-Mexico team
By Doug McIntyre
ESPN INSIDER
MEXICO CITY -- Need proof that familiarity breeds contempt? Look no further than the U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry. In the 100-year history of the American program, El Tri has been the Yanks' most frequent foe, holding a 32-16-12 record all time versus the Americans.
As with all great rivalries, there's often a thin line between mutual respect and downright hatred, and in the heat of battle it's complicated by the fact that the two countries are inextricability linked in so many ways -- not the least of them the 30 million people of Mexican descent living stateside.
On the field, the U.S. and Mexico have become increasingly competitive over the past dozen years. Since 2000, the Yanks lead the series 11-5-3, and they also eliminated El Tri from the 2002 World Cup. But the pendulum has swung back recently -- the U.S. has only one win in the adversaries' past five meetings.
Still, the Americans' steady improvement and the ever-developing link between the two nations have led to more respect on both sides of the border.
So with the two squads set to rumble at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Tuesday night (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN.com), my colleagues at Insider's El Tri Blog, the esteemed Tom Marshall and Eric Gomez, thought it would be fun to look each country's player pool in a slightly unconventional way -- by picking a combined optimal U.S.-Mexican team from the two rosters.
The methodology was simple: Eric, Tom and I ranked the top 22 players in both countries in descending order, then averaged our scores. What you see below is the outcome, and it reveals some interesting things about the strengths and weaknesses of each squad. Position by position, here's how it all breaks down from an American point of view.
FORWARDS (Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez)
Face it, U.S. fans: America's historic weakness has been up front. So no disrespect to Jozy Altidore, who last month set a new season record for goals by a U.S. player in Europe, but you'd take proven top-level predators such as Hernandez and Vela in a minute. At 24, Chicharito is already the all-world striker America is longing to produce. Vela has so impressed with Spanish club Real Sociedad that former club Arsenal is looking to buy him back this summer. The good news? The ongoing rift between Vela and Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre means the 24-year-old isn't on El Tri's squad to face the Yanks.
MIDFIELDERS (Andres Guardado, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Giovani Dos Santos)
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the U.S dominates the middle of the field, while the wings belong to the Mexicans. The current American squad clearly has a dearth of wide players, and Yanks backers are still having flashbacks of their team being taken apart by Dos Santos and Guardado during the 2011 Gold Cup final. Bradley and Dempsey would be a strong backbone for any team, and Jermaine Jones just missed the cut. The Yanks will miss Jones sorely Tuesday -- the German-born enforcer retuned to club team Schalke Sunday after spraining his left ankle in the Yanks' 1-0 win against Costa Rica two days earlier.
DEFENDERS (Fabian Johnson, Hector Moreno, Maza Rodriguez, Timmy Chandler)
Invert the situation in midfield and that's how it is in the back, where two more German-born, Bundesliga-schooled youngsters -- right back Chandler and opposite number Johnson -- got the nod ahead of their Mexican counterparts. Having Steve Cherundolo in reserve gives the Americans a clear edge in the fullback department. It's a far different story in the center of defense. With the American center back depth chart still in flux, 25-year-old El Tri star Moreno is a no-brainer. And veteran Francisco "Maza" Rodriguez is an easy pick alongside the Espanyol man, as the two have developed a highly successful partnership together for their country.
GOALKEEPER (Tim Howard)
Howard is still the best keeper on the continent, but he just turned 34 and the gap is closing quickly. After two solid seasons with Ajaccio in France, Memo Ochoa is on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe -- and he wasn't even picked for this squad. Jose de Jesus Corona was chosen as the backup, and may even get the start Tuesday. Brad Guzan, who'll get the start for the U.S. on Tuesday with Howard (back) out, deserves honorable mention for his performances with Aston Villa this season.
Bench
GK Jose de Jesus Corona
D Geoff Cameron
D Hector Herrera
D Steve Cherundolo
D Jorge Torres Nilo
MF Maurice Edu
MF Jesus Zavala
MF Landon Donovan
MF Jermaine Jones
MF Carlos Salcido
F Jozy Altidore
By Doug McIntyre
ESPN INSIDER
MEXICO CITY -- Need proof that familiarity breeds contempt? Look no further than the U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry. In the 100-year history of the American program, El Tri has been the Yanks' most frequent foe, holding a 32-16-12 record all time versus the Americans.
As with all great rivalries, there's often a thin line between mutual respect and downright hatred, and in the heat of battle it's complicated by the fact that the two countries are inextricability linked in so many ways -- not the least of them the 30 million people of Mexican descent living stateside.
On the field, the U.S. and Mexico have become increasingly competitive over the past dozen years. Since 2000, the Yanks lead the series 11-5-3, and they also eliminated El Tri from the 2002 World Cup. But the pendulum has swung back recently -- the U.S. has only one win in the adversaries' past five meetings.
Still, the Americans' steady improvement and the ever-developing link between the two nations have led to more respect on both sides of the border.
So with the two squads set to rumble at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Tuesday night (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN.com), my colleagues at Insider's El Tri Blog, the esteemed Tom Marshall and Eric Gomez, thought it would be fun to look each country's player pool in a slightly unconventional way -- by picking a combined optimal U.S.-Mexican team from the two rosters.
The methodology was simple: Eric, Tom and I ranked the top 22 players in both countries in descending order, then averaged our scores. What you see below is the outcome, and it reveals some interesting things about the strengths and weaknesses of each squad. Position by position, here's how it all breaks down from an American point of view.
FORWARDS (Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez)
Face it, U.S. fans: America's historic weakness has been up front. So no disrespect to Jozy Altidore, who last month set a new season record for goals by a U.S. player in Europe, but you'd take proven top-level predators such as Hernandez and Vela in a minute. At 24, Chicharito is already the all-world striker America is longing to produce. Vela has so impressed with Spanish club Real Sociedad that former club Arsenal is looking to buy him back this summer. The good news? The ongoing rift between Vela and Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre means the 24-year-old isn't on El Tri's squad to face the Yanks.
MIDFIELDERS (Andres Guardado, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Giovani Dos Santos)
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the U.S dominates the middle of the field, while the wings belong to the Mexicans. The current American squad clearly has a dearth of wide players, and Yanks backers are still having flashbacks of their team being taken apart by Dos Santos and Guardado during the 2011 Gold Cup final. Bradley and Dempsey would be a strong backbone for any team, and Jermaine Jones just missed the cut. The Yanks will miss Jones sorely Tuesday -- the German-born enforcer retuned to club team Schalke Sunday after spraining his left ankle in the Yanks' 1-0 win against Costa Rica two days earlier.
DEFENDERS (Fabian Johnson, Hector Moreno, Maza Rodriguez, Timmy Chandler)
Invert the situation in midfield and that's how it is in the back, where two more German-born, Bundesliga-schooled youngsters -- right back Chandler and opposite number Johnson -- got the nod ahead of their Mexican counterparts. Having Steve Cherundolo in reserve gives the Americans a clear edge in the fullback department. It's a far different story in the center of defense. With the American center back depth chart still in flux, 25-year-old El Tri star Moreno is a no-brainer. And veteran Francisco "Maza" Rodriguez is an easy pick alongside the Espanyol man, as the two have developed a highly successful partnership together for their country.
GOALKEEPER (Tim Howard)
Howard is still the best keeper on the continent, but he just turned 34 and the gap is closing quickly. After two solid seasons with Ajaccio in France, Memo Ochoa is on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe -- and he wasn't even picked for this squad. Jose de Jesus Corona was chosen as the backup, and may even get the start Tuesday. Brad Guzan, who'll get the start for the U.S. on Tuesday with Howard (back) out, deserves honorable mention for his performances with Aston Villa this season.
Bench
GK Jose de Jesus Corona
D Geoff Cameron
D Hector Herrera
D Steve Cherundolo
D Jorge Torres Nilo
MF Maurice Edu
MF Jesus Zavala
MF Landon Donovan
MF Jermaine Jones
MF Carlos Salcido
F Jozy Altidore
