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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=header_bold vAlign=center></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=header_titles_black vAlign=top>U.S. MNT Continues Decade of Dominance vs. Mexico with 2-0 Win in Glendale, Ariz. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD class=left_nav_italic vAlign=top>- U.S. Shuts Out Mexico for Eighth Straight Time and Improves to 7-0-1 Against Arch Rival Since 2000
- Sell-out Crowd Sets All-Time Soccer Attendance Record in Arizona
- U.S. Looks Forward to March Games Against Ecuador and Guatemala
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
GLENDALE, Ariz. (February 7, 2007) — The U.S. Men’s National Team shutout Mexico for the eighth straight time with a familiar 2-0 scoreline in front of a sold out crowd of 62,462 Wednesday evening at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The shutout kept Mexico scoreless on American soil in this decade, as the U.S. has outscored their CONCACAF rivals 13-0 since 2000.<UL><LI>Jimmy Conrad scored the opening goal in the 52nd minute, stunning a predominantly pro-Mexico crowd with his driven header from a Landon Donovan corner kick. The goal marked the first international strike of Conrad’s career.
Donovan’s work-rate throughout the entire 90 minutes was rewarded in the game’s dying moments when he netted his 27th career strike on a spectacular breakaway finish past Oswaldo Sanchez. Donovan has scored in both games this year as the two-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year tallied the openinggoal vs Denmark in the USA’s 3-1 win on January 20 in Carson, Calif.
With his second-straight victory, head coach Bob Bradley became just the second U.S. coach to win his first two games (Robert Millar, 1930).
"The main thing is how proud we are of the effort,” said Bradley. “The camp has been a hard camp and the players have put a lot into it, and the talk throughout the entire camp was that at the end the spotlight comes on real bright for an important game. I felt really good about the way the players held together. Obviously, there were some periods in the game where they had to deal with tough moments, and yet I still felt that on the field there was a mentality that all the work that had gone into the last month paid off for them and they got their reward. And that's my main thought right now."
While the second half provided plenty of fireworks on the field, much of the action in the first 45 minutes took place in the stands. As both teams struggled to find their rhythm, the raucous crowd was in full swing from the opening whistle with U.S. and Mexico supporters trading chants and numerous waves sweeping through the stands.
Both teams’ nerves were apparent from the outset with each side collecting early cautions. Jonathan Bornstein was shown the yellow card for a miss-timed challenge in the 10th minute, while Carlos Salcido’s clumsy tackle was also punished just one minute later.
The play settled toward the end of the first stanza as dangerous chances materialized for both teams. Jared Borgetti was the focal point for a pair of Mexico opportunities. While a sliding U.S. defender defused his first attempt from 12 yards, the usually sure-headed front man had only himself to blame when he failed to convert a corner kick from half that distance as his glancing header narrowly cleared the far post in the 43rd minute.
At the other end, with halftime just seconds away, Donovan raced past the Mexico defense into the area with a chance to give the U.S. the lead. He fired a left-footed shot, hoping to beat Sanchez to the near side, but the Mexico ‘keeper was equal to the task, sprawling to his right to parry the shot over the endline.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=header_titles_black vAlign=top>U.S. MNT Continues Decade of Dominance vs. Mexico with 2-0 Win in Glendale, Ariz. </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD class=left_nav_italic vAlign=top>- U.S. Shuts Out Mexico for Eighth Straight Time and Improves to 7-0-1 Against Arch Rival Since 2000- Sell-out Crowd Sets All-Time Soccer Attendance Record in Arizona
- U.S. Looks Forward to March Games Against Ecuador and Guatemala
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
GLENDALE, Ariz. (February 7, 2007) — The U.S. Men’s National Team shutout Mexico for the eighth straight time with a familiar 2-0 scoreline in front of a sold out crowd of 62,462 Wednesday evening at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The shutout kept Mexico scoreless on American soil in this decade, as the U.S. has outscored their CONCACAF rivals 13-0 since 2000.<UL><LI>Jimmy Conrad scored the opening goal in the 52nd minute, stunning a predominantly pro-Mexico crowd with his driven header from a Landon Donovan corner kick. The goal marked the first international strike of Conrad’s career.
Donovan’s work-rate throughout the entire 90 minutes was rewarded in the game’s dying moments when he netted his 27th career strike on a spectacular breakaway finish past Oswaldo Sanchez. Donovan has scored in both games this year as the two-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year tallied the openinggoal vs Denmark in the USA’s 3-1 win on January 20 in Carson, Calif.
With his second-straight victory, head coach Bob Bradley became just the second U.S. coach to win his first two games (Robert Millar, 1930).
"The main thing is how proud we are of the effort,” said Bradley. “The camp has been a hard camp and the players have put a lot into it, and the talk throughout the entire camp was that at the end the spotlight comes on real bright for an important game. I felt really good about the way the players held together. Obviously, there were some periods in the game where they had to deal with tough moments, and yet I still felt that on the field there was a mentality that all the work that had gone into the last month paid off for them and they got their reward. And that's my main thought right now."
While the second half provided plenty of fireworks on the field, much of the action in the first 45 minutes took place in the stands. As both teams struggled to find their rhythm, the raucous crowd was in full swing from the opening whistle with U.S. and Mexico supporters trading chants and numerous waves sweeping through the stands.
Both teams’ nerves were apparent from the outset with each side collecting early cautions. Jonathan Bornstein was shown the yellow card for a miss-timed challenge in the 10th minute, while Carlos Salcido’s clumsy tackle was also punished just one minute later.
The play settled toward the end of the first stanza as dangerous chances materialized for both teams. Jared Borgetti was the focal point for a pair of Mexico opportunities. While a sliding U.S. defender defused his first attempt from 12 yards, the usually sure-headed front man had only himself to blame when he failed to convert a corner kick from half that distance as his glancing header narrowly cleared the far post in the 43rd minute.
At the other end, with halftime just seconds away, Donovan raced past the Mexico defense into the area with a chance to give the U.S. the lead. He fired a left-footed shot, hoping to beat Sanchez to the near side, but the Mexico ‘keeper was equal to the task, sprawling to his right to parry the shot over the endline.
As