MEXICO. As you drive down Avenida del Iman, the Azteca Stadium looms on the horizon. From afar, it looks like a giant birthday cake has been slapped in the Santa Ursala neighborhood of Mexico City. As you get closer, the concrete piers look like the collective arms of Mexican fans pushing into the edge of the stadium and out of the ground. Once inside, the stands, despite their sheer size, feel claustrophobic, and that’s without fans.
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On Thursday, Azteca, which hosted two World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, will host the latest incarnation of the Clasico between Mexico and the US men’s team in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. In many ways, this is like the end of an era.
So far, World Cup qualifiers between the two neighbors have been the first things fans have looked for when fixtures are released. But change is coming. Since both countries will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada, there will be no qualifiers for this tournament. By the time the 2030 qualifiers kick off, the World Cup will expand to 48 teams, which could see the number of automatic qualifying spots from CONCACAF double to six.
Of course, games between the two CONCACAF heavyweights will always mean something. The desire to brag will remain. But the stakes – at least in terms of World Cup qualification – will be reduced, the damage from the defeat will be less severe, and thus some of the tension will dissipate.
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While such thoughts are focused on the future, the US is concerned about the present, and the stakes associated with Thursday’s meeting are indeed high. Both teams are at the same level in the standings, the US is only ahead of them on goal difference.
The neuroses of both teams are also in full bloom. Mexico is probably the more desperate side, and the US home game against Panama next Sunday is more important in the overall qualifying picture. But the result for any of the teams will be an important step forward on the way to Qatar. To do this at the expense of the opponent would be priceless.
However, pessimism reigns for El Tri, in no small part due to the three-game losing streak he is currently experiencing against the US. Players from Mexico) with the caption “They have an advantage over us.” Fernando Schwartz of Fox Sports Mexico launched into a one-minute tirade about why “Mexico is no longer a CONCACAF giant.” The Universal Deportes headline reads “Make It Big” urging El Tri to use more of their historic home advantage.
This negativity has penetrated into everyday life. Luis, a local rider who traveled with ESPN colleague Cesar Hernandez, detailed his concerns about the current Mexico team. Driving in and out of Mexico City’s traffic, he discussed what he thought was the lack of lideres (leaders) on the El Tri team and yearned for the days when former greats like Rafael Marquez and Jorge Campos still were nearby. The fan violence that accompanied the league match between Querétaro and Atlas added to the general gloom.
El Tree has other concerns as well. Depending on how things go in the game, offensive and anti-gay chants could return to Azteca Stadium this Thursday. Social media campaigns such as #MexicoSinMundial (essentially “#MexicoWithoutAWorldCup”) have been trending on Twitter lately. But what is it? In short: due to many different complaints about the way Mexican football is run and run, fans have been threatened online for using anti-gay chants in a game against the United States, potentially damaging the Mexican Football Federation (FMF).
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THURSDAY, MARCH 24
• Portugal – Turkey (3:45 pm ET)
• Italy – North Macedonia (3:45 pm ET)
• Sweden vs Czech Republic (3:45 pm ET)
• Wales v Austria (3:45 pm ET)
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
• Cameroon vs. Algeria (13:00 ET)
• Egypt vs. Senegal (3:30 pm ET)
• Ghana – Nigeria (3:30 pm ET)
Another element of Azteca is location. Its lung-burning height weighed heavily on the US for many years, although it has lessened recently. The US has only won once at the stadium, 0-3-3, in World Cup qualifiers. American manager Gregg Berhalter even went so far as to call the American team’s results at the Azteca “terrible”.
Having to play without an injured quartet of Weston McKenney, Sergino Dest, Matt Turner and Brenden Aaronson makes it a real challenge. But on the other hand, the United States have not lost their last three matches here: a pair of draws in World Cup qualification preceded a friendly victory in 2012.
This is exactly what Max Kroes, a 37-year-old political consultant from Helena, Montana, points out. He has been in each of the last three U.S.-Mexico games at Azteca, and Thursday will be his fourth. “I am a good luck charm,” he joked. “I will take it. I will be satisfied with one point. I would be out of my mind with three points.”
The reduced capacity to 50,000, kick-off at 20:00 local time, and the fact that some of Mexico’s stars are now playing overseas further reduce home field advantage. For some American fans, this is actually considered a disappointment.
“As for the Aztecs, it’s a fortress,” said Heather Borjon, a high school teacher in Orange County, California. “I have wanted to come here for such a long time. It has taken me so far to get here and it won’t even be a complete experience with such a limited capacity. But I am here. So, the best spring break.”
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The US is under additional stress. A failed attempt to qualify four years ago in Kuva, Trinidad – essentially “The Game That Shouldn’t Be Named” – still hangs over the collective head of the American program, even though only four players on this list were on this list. fiasco. One of those players, Paul Arriola, said of Thursday’s match, “There’s no fear in the group.”
This does not apply to the Night Before Party organized by the American support group American Outlaws. Nerves are showing – even when countless beers have been drunk – especially when it comes to US qualifying chances.
“I’m terribly nervous,” said Michael Devellos, a 29-year-old salesman from Chicago. “I think the burden of the last qualifying cycle is heavy. I don’t want to be hopeful again. But I don’t want to get too upset about it. but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
“I may not be eating or drinking after 11 a.m. tomorrow,” added Stephanie Casiano, who works at a medical facility in San Antonio, Texas. “It will be like all nerves. But this is my 48th game, so I invested in this team.”
The first victory at the Azteca would have brought a huge win.
With an additional message from Cesar Hernandez.