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BY ANGELA DAIDONE
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
For fans of Team USA, Sunday’s CONCACAF final at Giants Stadium was more than a 5-0 trouncing to Mexico.
This was personal.
The USA-Mexico rivalry has become in recent years one of the fiercest, and nastiest, of international battles, and not just on the field.
Lots of trash talk, in the locker rooms, in the press, even in cyberspace, where some U.S. players were “tweeting” about having to share a plane with their neighbors to the south. Then, there’s the game itself – the U.S. is a two-time defending champ of the Gold Cup, with four titles on the books; Mexico also has reached the final five times, won four and lost to the U.S. in 2007.But for the U.S. fans, perhaps most disappointing was the obvious lack of marquee players on Sunday’s roster. No Tim Howard in goal. No Landon Donovan. No Jozy Altidore or Freddy Adu.
These players have no official obligation to the national team at this time. With the exception of Donovan, who plays for MLS’s L.A. Galaxy, the others are back with their respective teams in the European Leagues, which are gearing up for their own Cup tournaments.
So, even though the U.S. held its own through the first 45 minutes with a 0-0 tie, the breakdown came swiftly and powerfully when play resumed.
A penalty kick in the 56th minute sailed easily past U.S. goalkeeper Troy Perkins. Three goals followed in a span of 23 minutes and one got knocked in for good measure just before stoppage time.
Fans of Team USA witnessed a dismantling of its defense, which looked so strong in the opening half.
However, most of the 79,156 fans in attendance were ecstatic with the outcome. Chants of “Mexico, Mexico” could be heard into the far reaches of the parking lot. Green jerseys overwhelmingly filled the seats and Mexican flags swayed from every railing.
Soccer was indeed alive and well at Giants Stadium. But on Sunday, the U.S. fans had little to cheer about.
NOTES: More than 45,000 tickets were sold for Sunday's match between Friday and opening kick ... Rail service to the Meadowlands Complex officially began on Sunday. Even still, traffic was backed up on the N.J. Turnpike for miles heading into Exit 16 and on Paterson Plank Road off Rt. 17.
Mexico 5-0 US, all is said.