The US team were the mentally and stronger team last night as they knocked off CONCACAF rival Mexico, 2-0, in wet and windy conditions at Columbus Crew Stadium. This match was the first matchup in this final stage of 2010 World Cup qualifying.
Michael Bradley scored late in each half to pace a cool and composed US attack. He finished a rebound during a goalmouth scramble to post a 1-0 lead shortly before halftime- taking advantage of a great corner kick by DeMarcus Beasley, a cunning header back across the goalmouth from Landon Donovan, and a driven header from Oguchi Onyewu that was knocked down by Mexican goalkeeper Sanchez before Bradley finished.
His second goal in stoppage time was a driven shot from 28 yards out that skidded underneath Sanchez, which also came from a brilliant combination betweeen late substitute Jozy Altidore, Donovan and Bradley.
"As a player, these are the games we want to play in," said Michael Bradley after scoring the fourth and fifth goals of his international career. "In the locker room before the game, we looked at every guy and knew we were ready to play. I don't think it's one guy, it's not just Landon [Donovan], it's 11 guys committed to do every little thing on the field to make sure we were going to get the result."
While weather conditions and perhaps jitters from playing in a 'cup final' atmosphere affected the early stages of the game, the Americans dug in and held off some early Mexico attacks.
"Our midfield play tonight, their work as a group, was really important and that sets the tone in the game," said Bob Bradley. "Tonight is a night where we'll go around and talk with each guy about how they played. I don't think it was necessarily a night where we got our best performances from each guy. But I think collectively there was an understanding of the game that had something to do with Mexico and something to do with the conditions."
The US seemed to deal with the conditions of gusting, swirling winds better than their Mexican opposition, proving to be the mentally tougher team and avoiding distraction of peripheral factors like weather.
"On nights when the conditions are bad, when the wind is like this, it's very important that the team moves well together," said Bradley. "You can't have gaps on the field, you have to feel tactically that you're disciplined. Obviously there are adjustments when you're against the wind. The ball isn't going to go as far on goal kicks, you still have to string passes together. You don't want every ball to be up in the air. We talked about all those things, but the major emphasis was just on the way we would move as a team in order to handle the conditions."
As committed and focused as the US team proved to be, it was the lack of composure from a key Mexican player at a critical phase of the match that proved to be a difference in their side. Midway through the second half, defender Rafael Marquez studded US goalkeeper Tim Howard in the knee as he caught a high ball and the referee whipped out his red card. This was the second time that Marquez, a defender for world power Barcelona FC, let his lack of composure affect the outcome of a match - seven years ago at the 2002 World Cup, a flying head-butt on Cobi Jones earned Marquez a red card in that 2-0 defeat.
Howard stood up tough enough in goal for the US, dealing with a number of challenges to preserve the shutout. In the early stages of the game, Howard denied dos Santos from close range; He was connected well to his back four, coming out to collect long through balls played behind his backs; Howard controlled his box as well, charging out to collect a ball lobbed high into the box when Marquez crashed into him high and late and stupidly.
Howard must sit out the March 28 game at El Salvador, however, after earning his second caution of the qualifiers when he tossed the ball away angrily after being felled by Marquez.
Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra weren't exposed one-v-one by balls played into space, a credit to the US tight and organized defense. Frankie Hejduk patrolled the right flank on both sides of the ball. Heath Pearce held up the left side.
"We were always around the ball and we made it hard for them to play," said Hejduk, who saluted his hometown fans as well as his teammates. "That was our game plan and Columbus did its job again. The weather came in and the fans were there and it was crazy like it was supposed to be. We're just all excited and it's good to get a win tonight."
It was a great night for US Soccer, as well as for the Bradley family. Even though the winning coach and two-goal star are father and son, the duo are pretty grounded and focused on the task at hand.
"Right now I'm the coach, it's about the team," said Bradley. "When you coach at a professional level there's a way that you want to do the work. There is an environment that you create and you want to establish a high level of being a pro in terms of what the right mentality is. The one thing that happens with Michael is that he gets a steady dose of that, not only when he's in with the team but in terms of the father-son relationship that we've had."
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