Time for the U.S. to Shut the Door on Mexico

Due to Bradley's injury, USA newcomer Aron Johannsson should get a chance to display his sensational skills on Tuesday. (Credits: Fedja Krvavac)

A magical summer for United States soccer is slowly morphing into a nightmarish fall. After dismantling almost every opponent the U.S. men played in the summer, things are spiraling out of control. First, Jozy Altidore injured his hamstring in training. Then, Michael Bradley endured a freak ankle sprain as a result of an excessively soggy field before the Costa Rica game. With that news coming some 15 minutes prior to the start of that game, the Ticos took advantage netting two goals in the first ten minutes. For a moment in the second half it looked as though the U.S. could salvage a tie, but another explosive counter-attack led to a third and final goal for Costa Rica. At the the end of the game, making matters even worse, Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron Matt Besler earned careless yellow cards keeping them out of Tuesday's highly anticipated match with Mexico.

El Tri is fighting for its lives, the U.S. is in a clinching position. If you told someone this scenario before qualifying started, they'd laugh in your face. Mexico was cruising entering CONCACAF play, the U.S. was drowning in its own confusion. With these turn of events, you can expect the Mexicans to play their hearts out or their World Cup hopes could be dashed. An embarrassing 2-1 loss to Honduras at home led to the firing of manager Jose Manuel de la Torre. Mexico is currently a pathetic 1-5-1 and on the verge of playing in the CONCACAF/Oceania play-off, which would be beyond embarrassing. El Tri's in shambles, USA's reeling. Game on.

I'm not going to accept excuses here. Mexico's current run of form is putrid and it's time to bury them. We're in Columbus, our home base, far from the US-Mexican border which produces lopsided crowds. There's no fearing of Mexico anymore. The pressure's all on them. Bradley, Altidore, Cameron and Besler are legitimate losses, don't get me wrong, but it's time to end this. Mexico is simply too vulnerable. Klinsmann has proved to us that he is completely in-sync with the depth of this team. He commanded the B-squad to a sizzling Gold Cup. He's helped the A-team to a clinching point in only six games. This isn't an easy task, but it shouldn't appear as daunting as it might seem.

Eddie Johnson and Aron Johannsson aren't going to completely replace Jozy's current run of form, but Johnson's a tested veteran and he's playing pretty well himself. Johannsson skill is plentiful and I think giving him a shot under the bright lights of USA-Mexico could be a sensational move. Don't forget Klinsmann has added Donovan back into the mix and his veteran composure should make up for a whole heaping of the current suspension of talent. I won't lie, I'm a bit worried about the back-line as it's projected Michael Parkhurst and Clarence Goodson will fill Cameron and Besler's role. We all know the Mexican front line of Giovani Dos Santos, Oribe Peralta, and Christian Gimenez are speedsters, but they haven't shown that fear-inducing cohesion in a while.

In the past I wouldn't have had the confidence I do now. We would surely crash and burn in this game in the past, leaving us in a scary position, but not under this new Klinsmann reign. The game might not be as pretty as the 12-game winning streak, but the U.S. will take advantage of the mess that is El Tri on Tuesday, all but clinching its spot in Brazil.