Posted at 6:19 a.m., Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Soccer: Mexico to host U.S. men in Sept. 9 exhibition
Associated Press
CHICAGO — The U.S. soccer team will play Mexico for the third time this year, a Sept. 9 exhibition game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.The U.S. team is 0-22-1 against Mexico in Mexico but is 9-2-1 against El Tri overall since 2000, including 8-0-1 on U.S. soil.
The Americans beat Mexico 2-0 in an exhibition at Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 7, getting goals from Jimmy Conrad and Landon Donovan, then rallied for a 2-1 victory in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Chicago on June 24 on second-half goals by Donovan and Benny Feilhaber.
That game marked the first time in 53 meetings dating to 1934 that the Americans fell behind Mexico, then came back to win. In a series the Mexicans lead 29-14-10, the teams have not met in an exhibition game in Mexico since El Tri won 2-1 on Oct. 17, 1984, at Azteca.
After going 10-0-3 at home this year under new coach Bob Bradley, the Americans went 0-3 at Venezuela in the Copa America, losing to Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia in South America's championship. When the Americans play an exhibition game against Sweden in Goteborg on Aug. 22, they will be seeking to avoid their first four-game losing streak since January 1997 defeats against Peru, Mexico, Denmark and China.
After playing Mexico, the U.S. team faces Catalonia on Oct. 14 in Barcelona, Spain, and Switzerland three days later in Basel. There also are plans for a Nov. 17 exhibition game at South Africa.
