Hotels Near Marlins Park - U.S. Wins And Secures Spot In World Cup

Source      - http://www.nytimes.com/
By            - ANDREW KEH
Category  - Hotels Near Marlins Park
Posted By - Homewood Suites Miami

Hotels Near Marlins Park

Smoke and white confetti wafted across the crammed stands, engulfing fans here Tuesday night as they bounced shoulder-to-shoulder, screaming. 

“You’re not going to Brazil,” was the singsong chant, addressed to the Mexican team. The song and celebration marked Eddie Johnson’s 49th-minute goal, which cut the tension inside a roaring Columbus Crew Stadium. 

Almost 30 minutes later, Landon Donovan tapped home the Americans’ second goal, extending a tradition at this stadium, against this opponent. The United States had defeated Mexico here, 2-0, in their three previous World Cup qualifying cycles: 2001, 2005 and 2009. And they did it again Tuesday night, weathering an early storm from a desperate Mexican squad before Johnson and Donovan delivered the killer blows to delight an announced crowd of 25,584. 

“Dos a cero!” the American fans yelled, over and over, the songs telling the story. 

After their result was secured, the American players watched inside their locker room as Honduras and Panama finished a 2-2 draw, ensuring an automatic qualifying spot for the United States at the 2014 World Cup. The players ran back onto the field, some barefooted, to celebrate again alongside the remaining fans. 

“Obviously they’re enjoying this moment,” Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said about his players. “It’s a special moment when you qualify for a World Cup, and they really deserve it.” 

The United States has now qualified for seven straight World Cups. This time, they experienced some early hiccups and tentative performances before coalescing as a team over the summer. Players now are touting this group as the deepest-ever American squad, and competition for jobs will remain heated entering the final two qualification games. 

Mexico, meanwhile, was pummeled further into turmoil. After eight matches, they have only 8 points and are tied for fourth place with Panama. Should they remain there — third place Honduras has 11 points — they will be forced into a two-game playoff against New Zealand. 

“We’re all responsible,” said Luis Fernando Tena, who was named Mexico’s interim coach over the weekend and will have his job status revisited Wednesday. “We’re a team. We all win together. We all lose together. We have to be self-critical.” 

The Mexico team arrived to Ohio in disorder, but the Americans were not quite at full strength, either. The team was missing three players — Jozy Altidore, Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron — who were suspended because of yellow card accumulation, and, far more important, was without midfielder Michael Bradley, who sprained his left ankle Friday. 

Still, the United States was optimistic. All weekend, the players emphasized their success at Columbus Crew Stadium. Supporters packed into the stands — mere feet from the playing field — well before kickoff. 

But the pregame pomp gave way to an anticlimactic first half. The United States could not establish any continuity through its midfield early on. When goalkeeper Tim Howard was not sprawling to stop Mexico’s initial attempts on goal, he was waving his palms vigorously toward the ground, imploring his teammates to settle down. 

“Now it’s expected of us, but it’s never a guarantee,” said Howard, who made three saves, all during the first half. “World Cup qualifying is tense. It’s always so tight.” 

Mexico looked urgent, playing combinations through the middle and swarming the United States defenders when they tried to hold possession. The Americans seemed intent on absorbing the blows and working countermoves through the outside channels. 

The United States squad’s passing was too cavalier at first — several balls went trickling to opposing feet — but it sharpened before Mexico could capitalize. Two faraway blasts from Jermaine Jones — one saved, one wide — were the Americans’ first good chances. In the 32nd minute, Johnson went airborne and directed a threatening header toward goal, but goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona snatched it from the air. 

Klinsmann said he encouraged Johnson: “I told him at halftime, ‘You’re going to get another one,’ ” he said.

Four minutes into the second half, Johnson encountered a near-identical chance and this time made no mistake. Donovan curled a corner kick from the right side, and Johnson rose and hammered his forehead into it, smashing the ball beyond Corona, who wandered into no-man’s land.

The goal sapped the verve from the Mexicans’ legs. They stopped their purposeful movement from the first half and resorted to long balls that the American back line easily intercepted. 

“They looked relatively timid and shy throughout,” Donovan said. “I’ve never seen a Mexico team look that way.” 

As Mexico withered, the Americans pounced again. In the 78th minute, Donovan latched onto a cross from Mix Diskerud that ran across the Mexico goal mouth and tapped it easily into the net. He sprinted to the sideline to celebrate, and beverages were tossed into the air. 

And it seemed only appropriate that when the referee awarded the Americans an injury-time penalty kick, their captain, Clint Dempsey, blasted it wide, preserving the storied score line.

“Dos a cero,” the fans could sing again.