With more than 50 matchups in their collective soccer histories, you would have thought that the rivalry between the United States and Mexico would be mellower now than it ever was at the beginning, right? Wrong. Both teams are still bitter rivals within the CONCACAF region. Every match played between them brings out the best in each and every player, the desire to come out and prove themselves in front of thousands of passionate fans by beating their team's most hated rival.
Two Dynamo players will look for the opportunity to experience that rivalry first hand on Wednesday, February 7 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. While Defender Eddie Robinson will look for his first cap as U.S. Men's National Team member, Midfielder Ricardo Clark will go for his second-straight appearance, after recently playing against Denmark.
"Playing for the National Team is always an honor", said Clark, who played the full 90 minutes in Bob Bradley's head coaching debut. "This game against Mexico, however, is something else. Every game we play against them is a big game, and it represents everything a rivalry is about. Even though this contest is a friendly, it will be a hard-fought match to the bitter end."
"It does not get any more special than this", said Robinson. "Just the fact that there will be 40 or 60 thousand people watching makes the experience invaluable. Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to play."
With new head coach Hugo Sanchez at the helm, the Mexican National Team will look to start his tenure on the right path, and what better way to do it than against the U.S.? For this game, which also marks his debut, Sanchez has called up the best his country has to offer, including Team Captain Rafael Marquez from FC Barcelona, and youth sensation Nery Castillo, who currently plays in Greece for Olympiacos. Just as if this game did not need anything else to make it more interesting, here is a nice tidbit of information for you: Mexico has not beaten the U.S. in American soil since 2000. They also have gone without scoring a single goal in the last seven games played in the U.S., which have resulted in 6 victories and a tie for the Red, White, and Blue.
"We know and are well aware of the fact that Mexico is bringing in its big guns for this game. Our team, however, has shown a lot of pride, dedication, and determination during training because we want to show that American soccer is good. We want to prove wrong all those people who think that you can't find good soccer in the U.S. Simply put, this is all about pride and regional bragging rights", said Robinson.
Besides regional bragging rights, the game also provides Bob Bradley with a good opportunity to prove that the win against Denmark was no fluke. Training sessions for this game have been intense, but with a good reason in mind.
"Each day I understand more of what he wants from me as a player", said Clark. "(Bradley) is intense, but at the same time wants his players to give their very best, and he does that by training us twice a day and focusing on fitness, among other things."
For both players, making the team that will play against Mexico represents a golden opportunity to experience something few players have been able to see first hand: a great international rivalry. Regardless of whether they make it or not, they both look forward to seeing these great foes face off on the field once again.
"My only prediction for this game is that it will be a very good contest, very intense, and extremely fun" said Robinson "We are coming out to play, and hopefully will get a good result along the way."
