# The Big Game (Mexico vs USA in Azteca) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791 "2005-03-22T23:08:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/81 "2005-03-27T18:23:20Z")
I just turned this game on 34 minutes in. It’s essentially over. Mexico has its revenge. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/82 "2005-03-27T18:30:10Z")
And yet the Mexican coach got red carded in the first half. I would hate to see what the guy would have done if his team were losing. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/83 "2005-03-27T19:07:01Z")
Good run out for the Americans. They’ll still qualify and hopefully learn something from the game. As an asisd, DeMarcus Beasley is very overrated whereas Reyna is underrated. Just my $.02. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/84 "2005-03-27T20:28:35Z")
I’m very casual about soccer-watching. The main thing is that I don’t have any friends who are into it, so I don’t get the experience of going to a rowdy pub to watch it. I was glad that the U.S. scored a goal. (Yes, I let out a w00t!) I had a couple of thoughts about soccer in general. First, I wish it were more popular here. I’d love to have the same kind of coverage that they give to football and baseball. On the other hand, we win enough (politically, economically, militarily, and in other sports). I kind of like it that there’s a game we’re not very good at. Still, it would be great if we were more competitive. The other thought I had was I started paying some attention to soccer around 1990. (I liked playing it in jr. high, BTW, many years earlier.) I thought of the 1994 game where the U.S. won when an Ecuadoran (?) player scored against his own team, and was later murdered. Remember that in 1994 O.J. Simpson killed his wife (or not 😉 ). I thought, at the time, of a Yakov Smirnov-esque comparison. ‘In South America, sports fans kill the players. In the United States, players kill their fans!’ Anyway, I’m planning on tuning in Wednesday at 8 to watch the U.S. vs. Guatamala. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/85 "2005-03-28T00:39:04Z")
Johny, there are plenty of games at which you suck. Soccer is the best example, the second best example would be rugby ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/86 "2005-03-28T01:31:55Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Johny, there are plenty of games at which you suck. Soccer is the best example, the second best example would be rugby Heh. For a minute I thought you were talking about me, _presonally!_ :mad: Although with my knees, you’d br right. I had to go back and read what I posted to see that you were talking about the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/87 "2005-03-28T12:13:14Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Johny, there are plenty of games at which you suck. Soccer is the best example, the second best example would be rugby Their cricket team is seriously crappy - even the Argentinians would win that one (and yes I am aware that it is played there) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/88 "2005-03-28T12:16:37Z")
By the way - this is what rivalry is all about…(I especially like the bit aboput the cream cake) "Fans riot in closing minutes of match Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali – A World Cup qualifier at Mali was stopped Sunday when fans rioted following a go-ahead goal by Togo in the 90th minute. Fans blocked a main road with flaming tires and smashed car windows after they invaded the field. Police fired tear gas as protesters descended on the capital’s main African Unity Avenue and screamed about the play of Mali’s top players. “Give us Frederic Kanoute and Mamadou Bakayoko!” they demanded. “We’re going to kill them!” Kanoute plays for Tottenham Hotspur in England and Bakayoko for Nantes in France. Fans at the packed 70,000-seat stadium, got upset when Mali took the lead on Soumaila Coulibaly’s goal in the 12th minute. But Salifou Mustapha tied it in the 83rd minute, and Kader Koubadia put Togo ahead 2-1 in the 90th. Police fired tear gas at dozens of angry fans who ran onto the field after the goal. State television cut its live transmission just after police fired the gas canisters. Thousands of fans, joined by residents who were not at the match, marched to the city center, setting up barricades of burning tires and throwing rocks and stones at traffic lights, billboards and vehicles. The window of Bamako’s biggest bakery, the Patisserie Almandine, was smashed and the store was looted. One man was eating a cream cake as he carted a chair away on his head. Cellular telephones, money and cameras were stolen from passers-by. Presidential spokesman Seydou Sissouma said “I understand the people’s disappointment, but nothing justifies such acts.” He said he had heard of no injuries, and that all the soccer players had been “secured” under guard." Chris. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/89 "2005-03-28T13:01:45Z")
A piss poor performance by the US. Can’t blame the altitude nor intimidation by the fans. Lavolpe outcoached Arena big time even when he was only around for 40 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/90 "2005-03-28T13:04:40Z")
Yes, the USA looked pretty awful in the first half. In the second half it was a bit more even with the US getting some decent chances. But even the goal they took back was a tad awkward, although nice finish by Lewis. GAM looked good. Berhalter disappointed, which is typical. And I don’t know that Keller was in the right spot on either goal. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/91 "2005-03-29T08:53:19Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > And I don’t know that Keller was in the right spot on either goal. You are bringing back some terrible memories! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/92 "2005-03-29T15:57:18Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > And I don’t know that Keller was in the right spot on either goal. Keller played a very good game. Both goals were easily due to very poor defending and werte not Keller’s fault at all. The second was atrocious. A man left all alone like that, I don’t really know what you expected out of Keller on that one. Where were the midfielder tracking back? I really disliked the five midfielder approach Arena used. It seemed like we get the ball into the attacking third and then pul it back and try to consolidate our attack or something, but that failed. Our best opportunities came when we pushed the ball forward. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/93 "2005-03-29T16:46:21Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > Our best opportunities came when we pushed the ball forward. That’s usually how it works in soccer 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/94 "2005-03-29T20:22:37Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > That’s usually how it works in soccer 😃 Reminds me of my favourite Keeganism: “I’m a great believer that if you want to score goals, you’ve got to get the ball forward.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791/95 "2005-03-29T21:52:28Z")
Oops, I think it was actually “I’m a great believer that if you want to score goals, you’ve got to get _people in forward positions_”. But same difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-game-mexico-vs-usa-in-azteca/295791.md?page=4)