Mexico vs. USA: Historic Win for Americans Will Propel Them to New Heights

The United States' historic 1-0 win over bitter North American rival Mexico on Wednesday night at Estadio Azteca will propel the Americans to new heights on the pitch.

It doesn't matter that it was a friendly—after 75 years of coming up short south of the border, the United States finally edged Mexico. Even more incredible is that the U.S. knocked them off just four days after the Mexicans won Olympic gold in London.

Talk about overcoming the odds.

New-Found Confidence

There is no denying that the U.S. gained a world of confidence in Mexico City on Wednesday night. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann took his squad south with every intention of winning, which became obvious when he selected Landon Donovan to start up front.

They did just that. 

Klinsmann knows that the U.S. must build momentum over the next 22 months in preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil if they are to make it past the Round of 16.

No win, not even a victory in Italy against the 2006 World Cup champions last fall, could have given the United States more momentum than their defeat of their rival on the road on Wednesday.

Capable Talent

In addition to boasting momentum and confidence, a team needs talent to succeed, and the U.S. certainly has its fair share. Tim Howard proved against Mexico that he is one of the top goalkeepers on the planet, shifting his body weight while reacting to the ball in milliseconds and using every limb to keep it out of his team's net in the shutout win.

While American stars like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley were left out of the lineup for Wednesday's match, Klinsmann and his coaching staff got to see what prospects like Brek Shea and Michael Orozco-Fiscal can do.

Two summers from now both players will be more experienced and more comfortable playing on the international stage, which is great for American soccer fans and U.S. hopes for a deep World Cup run.

Excitement and Buzz

The United States' monumental win will surely re-energize American soccer and increase interest in Klinsmann's national team over the next few months as they take to the pitch to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Similar to the U.S. women's deep World Cup run in 2011, the U.S. men needed a statement win like their most recent in order to capture the country's attention and support. 

With excitement and buzz come expectations, and after a historic win over Mexico, the United States head into the the Jurgen Klinsmann era with high expectations, new-found confidence and the talent to get it done.

With that said, the United States will reach new heights in the coming years. 

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