I love it. Honduras goes 70 yards in four touches up the middle on the first goal.

Costly's agent should be looking to get him a move out of the Polish league.

Can not stand Cuauhtemoc Blanco...his actions in that game further strengthen the sentiments that he should not be in the MLS.

I think (sure some will disagree) that Chicago is making a big mistake. His image will hurt both the team and the league.

I watched the game on Spanish TV even though I can't speak the language. What I haven't seen discussed elsewhere is the reason why Blanco elbowed the guy in the stomach and got the red card. The TV showed a replay with had the Honduran player guarding Blanco on the corner kick pucker up and ALMOST kissing him on the back of the head twice. It was unclear whether his lips touched or not, but clearly, it got Blanco's attention and the subsequent elbow in the gut.

I'm not a Blanco fan and was clapping when he got sent off (I think he dives too much, almost as much as Carlos Ruiz), but he has to know people will try and get into his head and not retaliate. The elbow was so violent that I would not be surprised if he were suspended from additional game(s) beyond the next one.

It's always amusing when Mexico loses and starts crying. But complaining that Blanco of all people was provoked... just picturing him faking punches at Mastroeini in Korea makes that such a joke.

I didn't see the game either, but from what I've read, Mexico was the better team and deserved the win. I look forward to the day when the better teams can just opt out of the earlier rounds so they don't have to waste their energy that would be better spent in the finals against the US, wherein they will play better and deserve the win despite what the scoreboard shows.

What was the attendence of the match? I'm guessing 8 or 9 times more that the "official" match attendance of the Red Bulls?

"I look forward to the day when the better teams can just opt out of the earlier rounds..."

The US, Mexico, and Canada already bypass qualifying rounds. Caribbean nations qualify through some other tournament (note that Jamaica isn't present).

Central American nations qualify through a process that eliminates only Belize.

Somewhat off-topic, but... Can anyone point me to UPDATED, detailed Gold Cup standings, please? The CONCACAF Web site is a mess!

SoyManya, try here: http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6886086

JeffResistor wrote - "I didn't see the game either, but from what I've read, Mexico was the better team and deserved the win. I look forward to the day when the better teams can just opt out of the earlier rounds so they don't have to waste their energy that would be better spent in the finals against the US, wherein they will play better and deserve the win despite what the scoreboard shows."

Totally agree. As a matter of fact, why bother playing the tournament at all? In fact, when the World Cup comes around, let's just give it to Brazil, Germany, Italy or the Argies and save everyone that whole messy playoff-type thing. What an idiot you are.....

Grotus, you should turn on your sarchasm detector. I'm the idiot? Whoa!

Yes, I am Mexican, and NO, I do not like Cuahutemoc Blanco. I am a Chivas fan and Cuahutemoc, when in Mexico, played for our archrival America. (It's like Redskins vs Cowboys). In all fairness, Cuahutemoc did get provoked not once, not twice, but many, many times by Caballero. At one point during the first half, there was an instance where Caballero's lips did touch Blanco's ear. That is considered unsporsmanslike conduct and should not be tolerated in any sport. Blanco has many years of experience and should have known better, his retaliation elbow and resulting red card put his teammates in a very difficult situation. If Blanco gets suspended or not doesn't really matter to me, I believe Mexico has many players who can step up and replace him in the lineup, but I would really like to see Concacaf review the tapes and take action against Caballero's conduct as well. I would love to see the States and Mexico face each other in the Championship game. I can just picture it...the best Concacaf teams playing for this year's Gold Cup...

"The CONCACAF Web site is a mess!"

Probably because it's run by Kickback Jack's web development nephew... umm, company.

http://www.terra.com/gold-cup/
Click on "Calendar" to see the tables.

"I would love to see the States and Mexico face each other in the Championship game."

Marco, I think this is the one thing Mexican fans and American fans will agree on.

The result could have been wose, Honduras missed a PK in the first half, and Mexico's lone goal was off a PK...

G-Unit wrote: "I love it. Honduras goes 70 yards in four touches up the middle on the first goal."

I watched both the Mexico games, and one thing that's stuck out is how vulnerable they are to quick counters. I don't know if it's a lack of focus or underestimation of opponents or what, but over the two games so far, ther've been a lot of breakouts that shouldn't happen to a team of Mexico's general quality.

Marco Lozada wrote: "At one point during the first half, there was an instance where Caballero's lips did touch Blanco's ear. That is considered unsporsmanslike conduct and should not be tolerated in any sport."

I watched the game on Univision and they never ran any replay that showed contact . The guy sure got awful close a few times, but in NFL replay terms, it was all "inconclusive".

Speaking of which, I was actually amazed that the lineman saw it. Blanco did a real good job of throwing the eblow quickly and shortly, in a position where there would have been a lot of other players milling about to screen the linesman. So, for once, kudos to the linesman! That said, Blanco should have known that it would get caught on TV and he'd face some kind of sanction afterwards.

Slightly off topic, but I don't really get the whole "kissing" insult. I gather that Caballero making kissy noises at Blanco is some kind of insult to the Blanco's manhood, akin to calling him homosexual or something (not that I personally think that calling someone homosexual in an insult, but in some cultures it is). But if Caballero is the one simulating kisses, doesn't that make him the potential homosexual? Discuss.

In any event, I think MLS defenders should now have a pretty good idea of what button to push on Blanco...

sarchasm: the gap between what is said and what is understood.

"The US, Mexico, and Canada already bypass qualifying rounds. Caribbean nations qualify through some other tournament (note that Jamaica isn't present).

Central American nations qualify through a process that eliminates only Belize."

CONCACAF is divided into three zones: the northern zone (containing Canada, USA, & Mexico), the central (american) zone (containing the seven central american countries), and the caribbean zone (containing the 25 west indies countries).

All the teams in the northern zone automatically qualify for the GC finals. There are qualification/elimination tourneys in the other two zones. The central zone is allocated five positions (formerly four), and the caribbean zone four (formerly three). That means that two of the central american teams do not qualify for the finals (this year Belize and Nicaragua), and most of the caribbean teams also don't make it thru the qualification process (besides Jamaica, no Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and many others).

"I didn't see the game either, but from what I've read, Mexico was the better team and deserved the win."

Jeff what have you been reading? La Reforma?

I can't think of a team that played better and deserved to win more than Honduras last night...well except maybe DC earlier.

They had a very good game with great breaks on the attack and very good positioning up front, they also shut down the Mexican attacks over and over. I couldn't disagree with what you have read more and I would actually prefer for the US to face Mexico rather than Honduras.

"In any event, I think MLS defenders should now have a pretty good idea of what button to push on Blanco..."

Unless Brian Hall is the referee, in which case the elbow-ee will be called for a foul for getting in the way of Blanco's elbow.

BOO MEXICO!
Sanchez and Blanco are shameful, and while I am at it Marquez is just as bad! I can't wait for the Yanks to steam roll this team of FRAUDS!

You can boo Mexico all you want, but you have to appreciate the Latino announcers. They put our local boys to shame when it comes to replays, angles and a general passion for the game. Maybe your Spanish is so so, but it doesn't matter if a Mexican scores or a Honduran scores, the announcer creates drama around the moment. Good stuff.

These idiots around here show the game as if the insides of stadiums were either: A) a mortuary or B) better than Ambien XR.

When are they going to WAKE UP to the game, GOFF?

"Sanchez and Blanco are shameful, and while I am at it Marquez is just as bad! I can't wait for the Yanks to steam roll this team of FRAUDS!".

Yeah, Blanco is a fraud. That's why he's about to become the 2nd highest player in the MLS. Marquez? Are you talking about Rafael Marquez? Yeah, he only plays for the best team in the World, Barcelona. Oh wait, his contract (thru 2010) will pay him 38.5 milllion. Want more?

FRAUD: 4. "a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur".

My question to you Mr. John Berrodin is: Who's the fraud? Might want to pull up some facts before making idi...statements.

Forgot to sign my name on my previous comment to Mr. Berrodin.

jeffResistor:

Sarcasm detector? Now THAT'S a useful invention.

Mr. Lozada,
I think that the previous post referred to the mexican tean as "frauds" because they are a group of under-talented hacks who show extremely poor sportsmanship, espceially your goal keeper, Dirty Sanchez. The only tactical advantage the team enjoys is the incredibly flithy air of Mexico City. Without the pestilent and disgusting condition, "el tri" would be battling with belize and bermuda in the basement of CONCACAF.

As always, I am senor evil.

Mexico has some frighteningly talented players, actually. Seems to me that the system places greater emphasis on the "UN CAMINO, DOS MUJERES" of Eric Estrada than it does playing team oriented soccer.

Petulance and vanity? Meet defeat in the form of the tricolores.

thanks for the highlights. All you need is your five minutes on Goff a day...

BTW, blanco had a silly red card, huh?

"sarchasm" as defined by I-270 (always love your posts btw) is now officially included in Shmoo's lexicon.

sarchasm: the gap between what is said and what is understood.

Boy; thanks for the highlights. Red card was stupid, but warranted. Those were two good goals. I think the Mexican's need to wake up and start playing harder or they are going to have a rough go of it.

So much for their savior coach. Of course, if they get it together and win it all, everyone will love him. We'll see.

"The only tactical advantage the team enjoys is the incredibly flithy air of Mexico City. Without the pestilent and disgusting condition, "el tri" would be battling with belize and bermuda in the basement of CONCACAF".

Senor evil, I was going to take the time to reply to your post with lots of useful information, but to be honest with you, your comments are not worthy of my time. I'll leave you with this: Think about those "pestilent and disgusting condition"s next time you are feasting on Mexican food.

Shmoo: It's a shameless imitation of "The Devil's Dictionary."

to be honest, i like some of mexican players like marquez and giovani dos santos (is dos santos in the Gold Cup)?

http://footballwijaa.blogspot.com

well, i like some of mexican players like rafael marquez and giovani dos santos. are they in the gold cup?

http://footballwijaa.blogspot.com

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