Specter of politics hangs over US-Mexico match

Trump won the 18 electoral seats of OH on Wednesday, however Hillary Clinton took 60.6 percent of the votes in Franklin County, which includes Columbus the venue for Saturday’s clash.

Trump set the tone for his campaign when he announced past year he would “build a great wall” on the border with Mexico and that “I will have Mexico pay for that wall”. Berhalter and Hejduk were both members of the 2005 USA team that won 2-0 over El Tri at MAPFRE, while Hejduk returned with the Stars and Stripes in 2009.

“I certainly think given the way everything has gone the last few months, there’s an added layer to this game”, Bradley told reporters.

“We have tried to cover all aspects, we have analysed the climate and we will use special thermal clothing so that players feel comfortable in the field”, he said.

Friday marks the kick-off of the final CONCACAF World Cup qualifying stage, widely known as the “Hexagonal” because it brings together six teams vying for three automatic spots at the Russian Federation finals in 2018. “I’ve always said, you need to write your own story and he’s doing it right now”.

The elephant in the room is Canada who would surely also be keen to play some part in a CONCACAF-run World Cup and the prospect of a North American bid taking on Mexico should not be ruled out. It’s nothing more than that.

“He’s the piece of the puzzle we were hoping for this year and he’s a great example to other young players about how to go for it – to play at the highest level and prove yourself”. “He should be one of the most influential players on their team”.

“Frankie gave a good speech”, midfielder Sacha Kljestan said.

“The results may not be what every person wanted – some people are happy, others aren’t – but the way forward is to come together and give our new president support and rally behind him”, said Bradley who added he had stayed up late watching the election unfold on television.

“Juan Carlos took incredible care of me and I’ll always be thankful and grateful to him for that”, Bradley told Goal USA of the time he spent with Osorio. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s crew looks to make it five straight home World Cup Qualifying wins against Mexico. “However and nevertheless, my efforts are all directed toward winning that game and nothing else”. “It was easy to see that talking about the game was something he really enjoyed, and it’s something I enjoy as well”. The top three nations qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and the No. 4 team advances to a playoff against the fifth-place Asian team for another berth. With a hard trip to San Jose, Costa Rica, looming just four days after the meeting with El Tri, getting three points from the first match is imperative for a US team that went a flawless 8-0 at home en route to Brazil 2014 but won just three times on the road, with three draws and two defeats. However, the biggest, and potentially most welcome, surprise was the absence of veterans Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wondolowski.

“This match against Mexico is filled with emotions”, said US goalkeeper Tim Howard, who has blanked Mexico twice in Columbus. He saved two penalty kicks during the Colorado Rapids’ shootout victory against the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday, sending the club to its first Western Conference Final since 2010. “It’s not the biggest stadium, it’s intimate but it’s loud, people are close to the pitch so it’s going to be great”.

“We’ve been practicing basically this whole week and just trying to figure out the best way to play against them”, he said.