USA vs Mexico - Running Blog

90 - Last-chance free kick from Donovan turned away; game ends in a 2-2 draw.

90 - Announced attendance: 70,103 (sold-out)

90 - Mexico substitution - Arce out, Villaluz in.

88 - Everybody looks out of gas on the pitch. Corrales draws an unfortunate yellow card, setting up a free kick from the right side. Mexico's free kick is headed out by Gooch. Both teams look content with a tie.

83 - Players are dropping left and right. Lewis was down in the box; also Feilhaber is holding his hand. On the other side, Arce took some time getting up. Play is continuing now.

80 - Onyewu offside on a Donovan free kick; the defender's header traveled wide anyway.

79 - USA substitution - Rico Clark out, Mo Edu in.

77 - Altidore earns yellow card for repeated shoving. Dos Santos shot blocked in traffic.

71 - Mexico substitution - Bautista and Vela out, Zinha and Dos Santos in.

70 - USA substitution - Convey out, Eddie Lewis in.

69 - Yellow card on Onyewu.

67 - Mexico substitution - De Nigris out, Cacho in.

65 - De Nigris shot weakly on frame, no trouble for Howard.

63 - Substitution USA - Adu and Feilhaber in, Dempsey and Bradley out.

60 - Vela shot at an open net deflelcted in front by Drew Moor, denying Mexico their first lead of the game.

58 - Another bad giveaway by Bradley in the midfield; Bofo Bautista eludes two defenders and then draws a foul 30 yards away from the goal. Subsequent shot is covered by Howard.

55 - Fireworks erupt as De Negris crashes through Tim Howard. A minor scuffle ensues as play advances down to the other end of the field. Dempsey tries to do too much with the ball and a pair of defenders takes him out.

53 - Altidore threatens to get a second goal of his own, but his header flashes wide of the far post as he's taken out from behind.

47 - MEXICO GOAL - Magallon scores again on a set piece, as Vela's corner kick got flicked on before Magallon put it away in the roof of the goal. The two sides are again even, 2-2.

46 - A quick start to the half as Carlos Vela fires a low shot just wide of the net.

A slow start to the game built throughout the half, with the U.S. actually creating some decent chances over the last 15 minutes. The score should definitely be 3-1, but due to some horrendous officiating, the U.S. lead stands at one as the second half gets underway.

Update: Bob Bradley says referees called the Dempsey goal back because of offsides, though there was clearly never a point in the play where such a call would have made any sense. Awful call. Terrible.

45 - Bradley draws yellow just before the halftime whistle. Game heads into halftime with US leading 2-1.

44 - Corrales goes down, giving both sides a chance to calm the chaotic play of the past 10 minutes.

42 - USA goal from Clint Dempsey called back; Deuce turned and fired a bouncing shot past Ochoa from the top of the box - still unsure why the goal was called off. Game remains tied.

40 - USA GOAL - Jozy Altidore with a screaming header on a spot-on cross from Moor. US retakes the lead minutes before halftime.

38 - Salcido draws a yellow card for a harsh tackle on Donovan, taking the Galaxy star out at the ankles.

37 - Howard again called to make a save on a circus shot from Arce.

35 - MEXICO GOAL - Pardo free kick from the right side is put away by Magallon. It looks like Drew Moor is the one who lost his man in the scrum.

29 - USA GOAL - Oguchi Onyewu. Following a long throw-in from Gooch that Ochoa punched away, Donovan sends a looping ball back into the box, where Onyewu's awkward header finds the corner of the goal past a stunned Ochoa.

27 - Dempsey turns and shoots from the right side of the box, but Ochoa is easily able to smother the attempt.

23 - Defensive lapse by Drew Moor leads to another Mexican scoring opportunity, but the resulting shot is skied over the bar.

22 - Salcido's 25-yard rocket shot from the left side stopped by a diving Howard. The Everton keeper is forced into making a save on a De Nigris shot from the right just seconds later.

18 - Parkhurst is warming up on the sidelines, but Bocanegra is now up and appears to be able to continue.

17 - Bocanegra and Howard collide on a dangerous ball into the box. The Fulham defender is still down.

16 - Altidore appeared to beat Marquez to a ball over-the-top, but a timely dive by the Mexican defender drew a late whistle.

12 - US struggling to hold the ball for more than five consecutive touches; Deuce run down the left broken up by a pair of El Tri defenders.

9 - Donovan free kick fails to clear the first defender; subsequent attack leads to US shot, deflected in traffic.

8 - The absence of DaMarcus Beasley is already being felt; Bobby Convey tried to take on a defender one-on-one on the left side, but got completely stuffed.

6 - US has committed a series of bad fouls early; Mexico is ratcheting up the pressure.

3 - Both teams feeling each other out; Mexico has had the majority of possession, but can't string anything together yet.

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Pre-game preparations are underway. Here are the starting lineups from Houston.

USA:
GK - Tim Howard
D - Drew Moor
D - Oguchi Onyewu
D - Carlos Bocanegra
D - Ramiro Corrales
M - Ricardo Clark
M - Landon Donovan
M - Michael Bradley
M - Bobby Convey
F - Clint Dempsey
F - Jozy Altidore

MEX:
Ochoa, Salcido, Marquez, Magallon, Castro, Arce, Pardo, Torrado, Vela, De Nigris, Bautista


My prediction: USA 2 - Mexico 1