US Trying to Make History

Dempsey, Davies and US Try to Earn First Win in Mexico

August 11, 2009

CHICAGO � On Wednesday, the U.S. Men�s National team will try to do what no U.S. squad has done before -- win in Mexico.

Sporting staggering 0-22-1 lifetime record, the U.S. will attempt to capture its first ever win on Mexican soil when the two CONCACAF clubs square off in a World Cup qualifier.

Clint Dempsey and the US National team will try to do what no US squad has done before -- win in Mexico

Two members of the team � Boston College alum and Connecticut native Charlie Davies and former Revolution striker Clint Dempsey � have New England ties. Dempsey, honored with the Bronze Ball as the third best player in the Confederations Cup, tallied three times in South Africa, including goals against Spain and Brazil.

They along with 18 other players, including 17 total from the Confederation�s Cup team that upset Spain, have the task of winning in the famed Estadio Azteca, known for its grueling combination of altitude, smog and more than 100,000 spectators. The match will be broadcast live on Telemundo, mun2, and the Futbol de Primera Radio Networks. Fans can follow live online via ussoccer.com�s newly upgraded MatchTracker and twitter.com/ussoccer.

Additionally, ESPN will provide unprecedented studio coverage, highlighted by a 30-minute SportsCenter 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Special from outside Estadio Azteca beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT, the first time in its 30-year history that ESPN will air a live pre-match show for a soccer event it is not televising.

The U.S. is currently in second place of final round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a 3-1-1 record through five games. Mexico sits in fourth place in the group with a 2-3-0 record. The top three teams automatically advance to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth place team will participate in a two-leg playoff against the fifth place team from South America.

�We are excited about the challenge and the opportunity,� said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who guided the U.S. to a second-place finish in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. �Mexico is a very good team, and we are all aware of their great success playing in Mexico City. Every game in qualifying is important, and this is a chance to gain further ground in the group. Our team continually tries to raise the bar, and certainly the chance to win for the first time in Mexico is a welcome opportunity.�

Seventeen players on the roster return from the group that defeated No. 1-ranked Spain and finished runners up to Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup in June. Tim Howard, who earned the Golden Glove award in South Africa as the tournament�s best goalkeeper, is unbeaten in five matches against Mexico and has posted an impressive five shutouts in seven all-time World Cup qualifying appearances.

The U.S. has only one draw to show for its efforts in Mexico. Down a man for nearly an hour, the U.S. earned a 0-0 draw on Nov. 2, 1997, in World Cup qualifying at Estadio Azteca. It has been a much different story on U.S. soil, with Mexico finally putting the brakes on the USA�s decade of dominance at home with their victory in the Gold Cup final. Prior to that match, the U.S. had posted an unbeaten 9-0-2 home record against El Tri dating back to 1999.

Costa Rica currently leads the group on 12 points, followed by the United States with 10 points. In other CONCACAF qualifying action Aug. 12, third place Honduras hosts Costa Rica while winless Trinidad & Tobago welcome El Salvador.

U.S. Men�s National Team Roster vs. Mexico

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 11/7 SO)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 21/3), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover: 18/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford: 2/0), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew: 0/0), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan: 16/1), Jonathan Spector (West Ham: 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Borussia M�nchengladbach: 10/4), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 5/0), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 17/4), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus: 1/0), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo: 0/0), Jos� Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 5/0)

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal: 8/5), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids: 5/0), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 15/6), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux: 2/1), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 30/11)
*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals

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