we might need to work on that.
A nice shot of Hugo Sanchez ... I know this game means nothing, but don't you want to shut that guy up?
Very defensive lineup with Pablo Mastroeni and Ricardo Clark in the midfield ... no shock from Bob Bradley.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Jared Borgetti up top for Mexico - any match with those two cheap-shot artists is not a friendly.
A fan has a sign that says "There are no friendlies." Exactly.
And off we go:
30 seconds in and Waldo says the game is off to a slow start, setting a record for earliest analysis of the flow of a game. Ever.
4th minute - Jimmy Conrad whiffs on a clearance, Timmy Howard bobbles it and the kids look shaky at the back.
8 - Clint Dempsey is the new Clint Mathis - he's just fun to watch play. Let's hope ...
9 - Conrad passes to the sideboard. He needs to settle down.
10 - Idea for a new drinking game. Have a beer every time Waldo says "I." Good luck getting up in the morning.
10 - The ref cards Bornstein for no apparent reason, obviously forgetting where the game is.
11 - Another card, this time for Mexico. Uh oh, the ref wants to be part of the story.
13 - The Queen officially dubs Blanco "No Neck Joe." How awful is she to make fun of the poor guy and his lack of anything connecting his head and his chest? See what I have to deal with every day?
17 - Dave O'Brien, tonight's play-by-play guy, says many Mexican fans wear Mexico jerseys with U.S. jerseys under them in case the Yanks are winning. Um, OK.
21 - Borgetti has only played 6 times against the U.S.? Wow, that seems low.
23 - I think the game is moving a little fast for both Chris Rolfe and Jonny Bornstein right now, but that can be expected.
24 - Pablo randomly blasts the ball high into the stands - then I remember he is from here and is probably just sending a souvenir to a buddy. Such a mensch.
27 - Waldo brings up a funny point that you have to be bald to be a U.S. keeper, then The Bruce one-ups him: "I think Joe Cannon's going to shave his head next week."
28 - This is just like the Super Bowl. Fun to watch but really poorly played with a ton of turnovers.
30 - Arena's analysis is really good - the note about the outside backs not coming up with the two central defensive midfielders holding is spot on.
32- The Bruce calls the U.S. "we", then corrects himself to "the U.S. team." He's allowed.
37 - Waldo calls Rolfe miserable. Not gonna be a lot of sugar-coating with The Bruce and Waldo, is there? Love it.
38 - A shot of Bob ... you'd think given the situation, we'd see more of him. Not that he's exactly Jim Carrey over there on the bench during a game.
39 - I like the analysts ESPN is using, but the downside to a three-man booth is someone is always talking, which gets trying at times, doesn't it?
43 - Borgetti out-jumps Conrad and flashes a header wide, first time the Mexicans have really threatened. Actually, first time anyone has really threatened.
Halftime - You want to say it or should I? The U.S. team is really unimpressive so far. 0-0 at halftime is fine at Azteca, but this is on our territory in a meaningless game and you'd like to see an U.S. side with more ideas and inspiration at this point, and yes I know this is not our first team and Mexico has its big guns. Bob Bradley teams will always be disciplined and organized, that's almost a given (and why I think he should get the job full time).
How about Spain's goal against Eng-er-land?
After listening to Linda Cohn try to get through the names during the highlights, I just want to give her a hug.
46 - Sweet. Chris Rolfe is coming back. That means we get more of Waldo's Simon Cowell impersonation.
52 - The good guys are on the board! Landon hits a corner to the back stick and Jimmy Conrad is so unmarked he never leaves his feet as he snaps a header past a helpless Oswaldo Sanchez.
55 - Carlos Bocanegra gets back up after smacking into Conrad. How can 'Los ever hurt his head with all that hair?
57 - Since 2000, we have outscored Mexico 12-0 at home (6-0-1). I love that stat.
59 - Chris Albright chases a ball and slips on the sheet of ice that is for some reason surrounding the field.
64 - EJ for Rolfe. Eddie Johnson really needs to start proving himself again.
66 - The Mexicans are throwing everything forward now and the Yanks look a little shaky. Great time for a counter if the U.S. can hang on.
67 - Omar Bravo swings and misses on a sure goal. I have no idea how that wasn't a goal.
68 - Josh Gros for Albright. Chris battled tonight.
69 - Eddie Johnson is really, really deep to defend. I know the U.S. boys are under siege, but he needs to be up to counter or there's no point in having him in the game.
70 - Eddie gets freed one-on-one with a defender and pulls up and fires from long range. Good hit, but Eddie needs to sprint right at him the second he gets the ball.
74 - Keystone Cops turnover by Mexico gives Bobby Convey a free point-blank shot, but he rushes a bit and Sanchez is up to the task. That one could come back and haunt the Yanks.
75 - Brian Carroll for Dempsey. Clint showed flashes, didn't he?
76 - I hate stats, but the U.S. has blocked so many Mexican shots I started looking for Dikembe Mutombo to be standing on the top of the 18-yard box wagging his finger at the Mexicans.
78 - O'Brien wonders how long Hugo Sanchez will keep his job if the Mexicans lose this match.
80 - Waldo says Hugo Sanchez might have to wear a lucha libre wrestling mask to get out of the stadium. Nice.
82 - The Bruce says the game's going to end 1-0.
86 - Eddie Johnson turns the ball over for no reason in midfield. He's been invisible yet again tonight. Invisible.
88 - I take it back, he just got called offside then got into an altercation. Sigh.
88 - Fonseca somehow gets behind the U.S. backline, but is just a split second late in getting to a cross. The Yanks are still flirting with danger.
90 - Give it to Cobi Jones and let him dribble to the corner. I don't care that Cobi's not on the roster, that's just semantics.
91 - Life takes its proper course as the USA goes up 2-0. The ref starts a great counter attack and Landon takes it to the house. Glad to see married life hasn't beaten everyone down.
91 - Watch the goal again and you will see Eddie Johnson not sprint to join Landon in attack until it is too late. Bob Bradley will see that when he watches the tape. Bob Bradley will not be happy. What ever happened to Eddie Johnson anyway?
91 - I missed this, the Queen didn't: Oswaldo Sanchez tries to slide tackle Eddie Johnson after the goal. All the goodwill built up with the story about Sanchez's dad at the World Cup is gone. The guy is just another dirty thug on a team that simply can not beat the U.S.
92 - The broadcast catches on to Sanchez's classless act. Nice grab, guys.
Full time: 2-0. The Mexicans leave and don't shake hands. Waldo says the Mexicans have to go get to work coming up with excuses. Exactly.
Who impressed me: Conrad, Bornstein, Bocanegra, Donovan and the analyst team of Arena and Wynalda.
Who depressed me: Eddie Johnson.
Final thoughts: I know this game was a friendly, but it's hard not to be fired up for the boys and especially for Bradley. Aw, who am I kidding, I'm fired up for me. We beat Mexico 2-0 yet again. You can't make this stuff up, even here on Planet LA.
Sleep well tonight, Hugo Sanchez.
I've been saying it for a long time now, but despite my sense that U.S. Soccer still has thoughts about working something out with Juergen Klinsmann, I leave you with the same four words I have been pushing for weeks:
Give Bob the Job.
During the season, The Clean Sheet runs each week on MLSnet. Views and opinions expressed in this column views and opinions are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com. Send any questions and comments to tcsresponses@yahoo.com
