USMNT will take crucial World Cup qualifier vs. Mexico back to Columbus, OH
The United States is taking their home World Cup qualifier against Mexico back to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, OH. The stadium has played host to the U.S. vs. Mexico match in each of the last four World Cup cycles, with the Americans walking away 2-0 winners each time and leading to the "Dos a Cero" rallying cry.
The match is set for November 11 and will be broadcast live on FS1.
For 15 years now, U.S. fans have made what has become a pilgrimage to Columbus every World Cup cycle. The match against Mexico is the biggest match the Americans host every four years and fans from around the country make the trip to see their team take on their hated rivals.
When the U.S. first went to Columbus for the Mexico match in 2002 World Cup qualifying, they did it in search of a home-field advantage at the only soccer-specific stadium in the country. They got that, and a cold front that made for frigid temperatures that the U.S. had no problem in, while Mexico struggled to acclimate. That 2-0 win made it an easy choice to go back in 2006 World Cup qualifying. Once again, the U.S. won 2-0 and that match also clinched their spot in the World Cup. Another 2-0 win followed in 2010 World Cup qualifying, again in frigid temperatures, then the Americans walked away 2-0 winners in 2014 World Cup qualifying with Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan scoring.
The November 11 clash will be huge for the U.S. because it is the first match of the final round of World Cup qualifying and they follow it up with a trip to Costa Rica. The Americans, like most every other team, have always struggled in Costar Rica so they'll need to beat Mexico in Columbus or they could be in a very deep hole to start the World Cup qualifying round.
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