The United States' latest victory over Mexico (2-0 in Columbus) was significant only in that never before has a win over El Tri felt so matter-of-fact. The truth is all the U.S. did on Wednesday night was hold serve. The time has come for the U.S to land the ultimate blow and take three points in Mexico's Azteca Stadium.
Mexico was shorthanded on Wednesday, but it hasn't played worth a lick even with all its players available and the fans are just about fed up. If things don't change between now and Aug. 12 and the U.S. can get off to a good start in that game, Mexico's passionate crowd could actually become a burden.
It's a long shot, but it would also the U.S.'s cause if Sven-Goran Eriksson is still on the bench for Mexico. Has a manager ever looked so out of a place? The Swede gives the impression he can't get back to Europe fast enough, and if Mexico doesn't make a change very soon, missing out on the World Cup is a real possibility.
Not so for the U.S. Indeed, qualifying for the World Cup has become as routine as beating Mexico on home soil, which means about the only thing Bob Bradley's team could do before South Africa to excite anyone would be a win in enemy territory. And for the first time ever, it is not too much to ask.
The one that got away
Italy had a tough time in a 2-0 loss against Brazil on Tuesday, but one of the few bright spots for the World Cup champs had to be the play of New Jersey-born Giuseppe Rossi in the second half. I do realize the last time I mentioned his name, I incurred the wrath of quite a few people, but the fact is Rossi will always be inextricably linked to U.S. soccer.
His mere presence on the field was noteworthy, when you consider that when Rossi was weighing his options, the conventional wisdom among most U.S. fans was he would never break into the Italian team. But at 21 years of age, he is very much in the mix. At this point, Rossi has as good a chance of being in South Africa as Freddy Adu.
Hiddink the new Beckham
It's good to know someone out there is more naïve than Major League Soccer. The Russian Federation probably had little choice in allowing coach Guus Hiddink to split his time between its national team and Chelsea for the next few months, given Roman Abramovich's contributions to the program.
But does anyone think for a minute, if Hiddink does well, and no intriguing candidates emerge, the Chelsea owner won't at least ponder a David Beckham-style heist. The Blues have already been turned down by Milan's Carlo Ancelotti, the man considered their top choice.
And there is no reason to think the Dutchman won't do well. While he is now much more identified with international soccer, unlike Luiz Felipe Scolari, Hiddink also has the chops at club level, having led PSV Eindhoven to the European Cup back in 1988. He might also be the only manager able to co-exist with Abramovich.
Shilton getting the shaft
Speaking of Mr. Beckham, I suppose congratulations are in order, although I'm still trying to figure out exactly what milestone he achieved against Spain. Most caps by an outfield player? Apparently in England, goalkeepers are not considered real players because I've never seen another country make such a distinction. Beckham's second-half cameo in the 2-0 defeat saw him tie Bobby Moore's total of 108 appearances for England.
Beckham has a long way to go before reaching legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton's mark of 125 appearances. He might well top the list someday, especially since he appears to be back in the fold, but at a time in sports when records are becoming ever more nebulous, the number to beat in this case is quite clear.