Politics and soccer are a very dangerous mix. While can often impact the other and vice versa for positive purposes, history has also proven that either subject can be a powder keg.The two subjects will meet head on Friday when the United States will host Mexico to start the final round of qualification for the 2018 World Cup (FS1, Univision, 7:45pm).
Although tensions between El Tri and USMNT are always on high, recent results in the U.S. presidential election seems to have kicked things up a notch. American president-elect Donald Trump’s conservative policies have been strongly opposed by the Latino-American population. According to the Migration Policy Institute, Mexican immigrants make up 28 percent of the 42.4 million immigrants that currently live in the United States.
The location of Friday’s match will also provide a unique backdrop to current geo-political issues. Trump won Ohio in Tuesday’s election, defeating Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton in the Buckeye state by roughly 400,000 votes.
If this derby could be boiled down to one word it would be composure. No matter the location or the stakes, Mexico-USA derbies are always testy affairs. Look for both Mexican national team manager Juan Carlos Osorio and United States national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann to emphasize calm and patience early with the hope of avoiding early mistakes.
Midfield possession will also prove key. Osorio seems to be looking towards reverting back to a 3-3-3-1, which the side used to great success early last year. Midfielder Hector Herrera has had a strong campaign with Porto this year orchestrating an attack that can spring on an opponent at any moment. Klinsmann seems to gambling that Jermaine Jones can hold the line despite having just come back from a torn knee ligament. Look for Herrera to exploit this weakness and link up with Raul Jimenez and Javier Hernandez early and often.
Wide play will also prove critical into determining who comes out on top in this match. At just the tender age of 18 Christian Pulisic has already proven his value to the senior side, scoring three goals in nine matches. Although his scoring touch has been uncanny his runs down the flank have given Klinsmann a new dimension to open up defenses. The Mexican defense have struggled dating back to the Copa America Centennario with their organization on crosses and diagonal passes into center forwards. If they cannot mark Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood effectively this could be another loss in Columbus.
Although World Cup Qualification seems like a slam dunk for both sides (three out of the eight sides in CONCACAF automatically qualify, while the fourth will get an extra chance to play in an intercontinental series with a side from Asia) this by no means another friendly. Both teams have had rocky 2016 campaigns with noted achievements almost washed away by spectacular failures. The likelihood is that one side will leave Mapfre Stadium on Friday empty-handed. Here is to hoping that decorum will be maintained and a quality match can provide some light during these challenging times on and off the pitch.
