Feb. 6th 2008. From Houston, Texas. Here are the squads, if there have been any changes, feel free to post it here. :)

USA

GOALKEEPERS :
Brad Guzan (Chivas USA - USA)
Tim Howard (Everton FC - ENG)

DEFENDERS
Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC - ENG)
Ramiro Corrales (SK Brann - NOR)
Drew Moor (FC Dallas - USA)
Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege - BEL)
Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution - USA)
Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock - GER)
Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo - USA)

MIDFIELDERS
Freddy Adu (SL Benfica - POR)
Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen - HOL)
Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo - USA)
Bobby Convey (Reading FC - ENG)
Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo - USA)
Maurice Edu (Toronto FC - CAN/MLS)
Benny Feilhaber (Derby County - ENG)
Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo - USA)
Eddie Lewis (Derby County - ENG)

FORWARDS
Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls - USA)
Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC - ENG)
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy - USA)
Pat Noonan (Aalesund FK - NOR)

________________________________________

MEXICO

GOALKEEPERS
Guillermo Ochoa (América - MEX)
Luis Ernesto Michel (Guadalajara - MEX)
Moisés Muñoz (Monarcas - MEX)

DEFENDERS
Israel Castro (Pumas - MEX)
Rafael Márquez (Barcelona - SPA)
Carlos Salcido (PSV - HOL)
Jonny Magallón (Guadalajara - MEX)
Fauto Pinto (Pachuca - MEX)
Óscar Rojas (América - MEX)

MIDFIELDERS
Fernando Arce (Santos Laguna - MEX)
Pável Pardo (Stuttgart - GER)
Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul - MEX)
Cesar Villaluz (Cruz Azul - MEX)
Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona - SPA)
Sinha (Toluca - MEX)

FORWARDS
Adolfo Bautista (Jaguares de Chiapas - MEX)
Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca - MEX)
Carlos Vela (Osasuna - MEX)
Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor - TUR)

this is played too often

I wonder if Bradley will use Bradley in a more attacking role, the way Bradley has been playing for Heerenveen this season. It's certainly paid dividends as Bradley has scored 16 goals for the Frisians and is currently among the top 6 scorers in the Dutch Eredivisie. However, in national team games Bradley has employed Bradley as a defensive midfielder. The 4-2-2-2 system favored by Bradley limits the ability of central midfielders like Bradley to get forward. Still, Bradley is having a spectacular season at Heerenveen in his new role, so perhaps Bradley should try to fit his playing system to Bradley, rather than trying to fit Bradley into his playing system.

I want to see Jozy.

I wonder if Bradley will use Bradley in a more attacking role, the way Bradley has been playing for Heerenveen this season. It's certainly paid dividends as Bradley has scored 16 goals for the Frisians and is currently among the top 6 scorers in the Dutch Eredivisie. However, in national team games Bradley has employed Bradley as a defensive midfielder. The 4-2-2-2 system favored by Bradley limits the ability of central midfielders like Bradley to get forward. Still, Bradley is having a spectacular season at Heerenveen in his new role, so perhaps Bradley should try to fit his playing system to Bradley, rather than trying to fit Bradley into his playing system.

Something tells me that you have been wanting to type that for quite a while now... ;)

I'm predicting a 1-1 tie but the Yanks can easily win this game. Mexico hasn't seen players on our team with the technical ability of Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore. I expect Adu to start, but Jozy to come off the bench. Will be an interesting game...

We're missing a couple really important European based players... Guardado and Nery Castillo. Not that its an excuse, more of an unfortunate situation.

I see us playing like this...

............................Ochoa

Castro....... Marquez......Magallon...... Salcido

....................Pardo.... Torrado

......Arce................................... ????????

...................Cacho.... Giovanni

Definite Subs:
Sinha
De Nigris
Vela

Is Guardado hurt? I know Nery is, but other than that, it seems the full squad got called for this game.

Yeah he got hurt, Villaluz replaced him. I knew this thread would bring back some old schoolers like you skip. (H)

Yeah that nigga got hurt in 10th minute vs. Betis...

As far as Stunna's ???????? question, I'd go with Carlitos Vela. He's been playing that position since he became a starter at Osasuna.

I really want to see what De Nigris can do, it's been a looooong time since he's played witht the NT. Speaking of long time, the last time Mexico lindo y querido defeated the states IN THE STATES was in '99 at San Diego, a game I attended.

hEGO Sanchez calling up Sinha is code for Leandro August is next of my list of naturalized players I'm willing to call up...btw.

Vamos Mexico, chingada madre!!

I had forgotten Vela played there for Osasuna. I can def see him there, especially with that infamous play he did on Sergio Ramos. :D

You know what kills us? That Hugo WONT ever change his 4-4-2. Doesnt matter if we are winning, losing, tied... sh*t stays the same.

You know what kills us? That Hugo WONT ever change his 4-4-2. Doesnt matter if we are winning, losing, tied... sh*t stays the same.Dude tell me about it, fncken hEGO will never admit he made a mistake during a game. Not only that he doesn't change his formation but he never makes the correct changes nor does he make them in time...example: when he took out Torrado for the entire 2nd half vs. Argentina. After he took him out Argentina made us dance a tango.

He might try the more offensive but still same formation 4-2-2-2.

BigSoccer is hyping this like it's Ali-Frazier or something. In reality it's just a friendly, a friendly we're playing too much. It's a hot match when something is on the line but in friendly matches players don't exert themselves fully, sure both sets of players are going to be more up for this than they would be for a friendly against, say, Canada, but there's no way they're going to go out there and risk an injury. Internationals don't mean nearly as much as they used to.

That's why I'm watching UNC - Duke.

Oh, it's on at the same time as UNC - Duke? Yeah, I'm definitely not watching.

I really dont have my hopes high, specially with the stupid coach we have, i hate Hugo

i hate his call-ups, shoulda called up Galindo from Frankfurt. Im at odds with De Nigris, but no Nery and Guardado hurt him, it will be up to the youngsters to win this game.

shoulda called up Hector Moreno also. but now we'll see Cacho up front with Vela, Zinha and Dos Santos on the wings and Pardo with Torrado on the back.


Zinha called up again. FINALY! the guy has been on his stuff for a long time now, he's make or break this team tomorrow.

Just a friendly... But I still love to see us beat Mexico.. Come on U.S.. :clapwap::rockman:

I'm watching it, but I feel like ****. I don't think I wanna watch another disappointment, even though it's just a friendly. I got enough of that on Sunday...

HA!! Dempsey has a goal disallowed because of "Offside" WTF!! Talk about a bad call, great run and shot in my book..

2-1 at the half, but should be 3-1

Yeah, I was upset about Dempsey's disallowed goal, but to be fair to the Mexicans they did look more dangerous in the first half. Then again, with a few exceptions, isn't that how these games always go?

Yeah! Mexico has a tendency of playing hard in the first half and with the most amount of possession, only to be beaten by the U.S with two or three shot on the net..

OK, they showed the replay now. It looked like Dempsey was literally an inch or two offside. Very close call.

Harkes is right... Clark and Bradley aren't a great tandem. They're good players but they're far too similar. Neither is really a "holding" midfielder.

Note to Ramiro Corrales: stop committing stupid fouls to set up dangerous set piece opportunities for Mexico. If we win against Mexico with Corrales in the line-up, this will truly be a great accomplishment.

Corrales is the Mole.

Meh.

Howard - 7 (solid)

Corrales - 2 (awful horrible terrible...)
Bocanegra - 7 (read game well)
Onyewu - 7 (great goal)
Moor - 4 (great cross to set up Altidore's goal, but lost Magallon on set pieces... twice, and we know what happened both times)

Clark - 5 (mixed game, but ultimately outclassed by Mexican midfielders)
Bradley - 5 (see Clark)
Convey - 4 (invisible)
Donovan - 6 (he was marked VERY tightly)

Dempsey - 6 (had some good touches)
Altidore - 7 (great time and place to get his first national team goal)

No real surprises in this game. Corrales sucked, Moor showed his inexperience, Convey showed that he is in poor form.

The sad thing is I think we have some genuinely talented players on an individual level (Altidore, Dempsey, Donovan, Adu, Bradley and even Clark) but we just didn't play well as a team tonight. Something's off with Bradley's tactical system. I can't believe he gave Corrales the start either. What was the point in that?

Two people got shot at the stadium apparently :|

The Americans will definitely win

Pie in face moment.