2.07.2007

U.S. vs Mexico Tonight!

The U.S. men's national team will take on Mexico tonight in Glendale, Arizona. The 62,000-seat University of Phoenix Stadium is expected to be overflowing with fans for the first meeting between the teams since 2005. Though it is only a "friendly" there is no love lost between the two teams. "I don't have friendly matches, much less against them (the U.S.)," Mexico forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco said during a new conference in Mexico recently.

Each side is being led by a new coach, with this being Hugo Sanchez's first go-round with Mexico. Bob Bradley is at the helm of his second game since replacing Bruce Arena - on an interim basis; Bradley's boys defeated Denmark at the Home Depot Center last month. Neither coach can afford a loss in this highly-publicized (at least in Mexico) match-up. The U.S. has come away with a win in seven of the past 10 matches between the two teams since 2000. The last meeting was held in September 2005, with the U.S. claiming a 2-0 victory in Columbus, Ohio.

Bradley has named an MLS-heavy roster for the match, with only eight players that have had previous experience against the Tricolor. Several European players will also suit up for the U.S., including Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard, Bobby Convey, and the newly-transferred Clint Dempsey.

My prediction is a 2-1 win for... the U.S., of course.

The match will be televised on ESPN2 and Univision beginning at 9 p.m. ET, with kickoff slated for 9:25 p.m.

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