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Simple goals Cup revenge hyped for sold-out U.S.-Mexico rematchPosted: Wednesday May 07, 2003 1:03 PMUpdated: Wednesday May 07, 2003 5:05 PM
HOUSTON (AP) -- In the face of promoters' hype, a sellout and talk of Mexican revenge against the United States for its World Cup upset last year, U.S. men's national team coach Bruce Arena put Thursday's exhibition match in more modest perspective. (Series History) "Every time we step on the field we try to win," Arena said. "You don't win every game, but that is not the bottom line in these types of games. Winning is necessary when you're qualifying [for the World Cup] or playing in the Confederations Cup or the Gold Cup, more so than these types of games. "We know our guys will go out on Thursday and give a good effort." Likewise, Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez told reporters before flying to Houston that as much as he wants retribution for the United States' 2-0 triumph last June 17 in the World Cup's second round, a victory in an international friendly won't suffice. "Playing this friendly match against the United States isn't about revenge. We'd only call it revenge if we were meeting again in the World Cup," Sanchez said. Still, the game is being promoted as "la revancha en la cancha," or revenge on the field. Despite the fanfare of a Reliant Stadium packed with around 68,000 fans who likely will bring a pro-Mexico slant, Arena's main goal is to begin formulating a team that can compete for the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup in June and the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North America and the Caribbean, in July, as well as World Cup qualifying next year. "This is just another step along the way," Arena said. The sellout will mark the largest Texas crowd to see a soccer match, besting the approximately 63,000 who saw a World Cup game at the Cotton Bowl in 1994. Times have changed since the last Houston visit by the men's national team, a 2-0 loss to Ecuador before 10,500 fans at a high school football stadium in 1988. "We're thrilled that the soccer match has been sold out," said Steve Patterson, the senior vice president and chief development officer of the NFL's Houston Texans, who are helping to promote the match. "We're tremendously excited about the community's response for the most important international sporting event Houston has ever hosted. The sellout shows that Houston is not only a great football town, but it's a great fútbol town." Mexico leads the 70-year rivalry 28-10-9, but the United States has won five of the last six meetings, with all the U.S. victories coming on shutouts. Arena picked an all-Major League Soccer roster last week. Nine of the 18 players selected were on the U.S. team that upset Mexico at the World Cup, including forwards Landon Donovan and Brian McBride, who scored the goals. Also on the roster from the starting lineup against Mexico are defender Eddie Pope and midfielder Pablo Mastroeni. Forward Earnie Stewart and Cobi Jones, also on the roster, played against Mexico in the World Cup as second-half substitutes. Midfielder Chris Armas is back on the U.S. roster for the first time since tearing a ligament in his right knee during an exhibition game against Uruguay last May 12. The likely frenzy on behalf of Mexico's beloved "Tricolores" won't faze the United States, McBride said. "There probably will be a pro-Mexican contingent in the stands, but we're used to that," he said. "It's starting to change, we're starting to get a great group of supporters coming out for us."
Notes: The United States is likely to add a June 5 exhibition game
against Portugal at Foxboro, Mass., which would be in addition to
two other exhibitions before the FIFA Confederations Cup: May 26
against Wales at San Jose, Calif., and June 8 against New Zealand
at Richmond, Va. The U.S. team upset Portugal 3-2 in its World Cup
opener last year. U.S. Soccer Federation officials said Wednesday
negotiations for the Portugal game were not quite complete.
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