Mexico vs USA: International Friendly Presents Great Opportunity for Americans

The U.S. national soccer team might struggle against Mexico in the upcoming friendly, but the match provides a great opportunity for the squad to shine.

Few national teams have been playing better than Mexico in recent months. The squad just capped off an impressive run in the Olympics by winning the gold medal in a 2-1 victory over Brazil. While this is not considered an elite tournament, it is always nice to win and the team showed plenty of depth in the victory.

In addition, Mexico won both of its matches in World Cup qualifying and defeated Brazil's full team in an international friendly by a score of 2-0.

Conversely, the United States has struggled lately. It finished with a scoreless draw against Canada after losing 4-1 against Brazil in a home friendly. The squad was only able to get a draw against Guatemala in World Cup qualifying.

The team needs a boost of confidence to get back on track. Although facing a team of this caliber is not usually the best way to do it, the Americans can benefit from playing a game with little to no pressure.

Impartial observers can agree that it will be a long shot for the United States team to come out victorious in this friendly. The team has never won on Mexico soil and seem completely outmatched on paper.

In addition, the game will be played in Estadio Azteca, an enormous stadium that can hold about 100,000 loud fans.

The American team will be able to play a game that feels like a pressure-filled road match, but they really have nothing to lose. It is an exhibition game with no expectations to win. A loss fulfills the prophecy while a win can motivate them to bigger and better things.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann notes the importance of this game to USSoccer.com:

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The U.S. and Mexico have a very special rivalry, and the chance to be challenged in an environment like Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will be another important experience for the development of our players.

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Between Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, there is plenty of experience on this squad. However, there are also a number of young players trying to get acclimated to the international game. This will be a big moment for those men looking to make a name for themselves.

After this match, the team will return to games that matter. World Cup qualifying continues in the fall with consecutive games against Jamaica as the team tries to reach the next stage.

This game will not necessarily give the U.S. a chance to work out the kinks, but it could give them an opportunity to get a big win that launches them to future success.

On the other hand, a loss only puts them right back where they started.

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