The men’s national team can qualify for the World Cup this evening.
The U.S. men's national team can clinch a World Cup spot with a victory.
If the United States can pull off the victory against Mexico Tuesday night, then they can almost guarantee themselves a bid for next summer's World Cup in Rio. In addition to a US victory, the men's national team needs Honduras to either win or tie Panama at home tonight in order to secure a spot in the World Cup field.
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Mexico is our bitter rival.
It's no secret that the U.S. and Mexico don't get along on the soccer pitch. Each game between the two countries is hotly contested and frequently leads to clashing on the field and in the stands. The U.S. team also has five players on their current roster that play for Mexican club teams, which has led to more dissension than kinship. As Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated put it, "The U.S.-Mexico rivalry has turned into the best international sports rivalry in North America, drawing huge TV audiences and unleashing passions on both sides of the border."
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Mexico is desperate for a win.
Mexico is currently in a precarious situation if they want to qualify for next summer's World Cup. They're currently in fourth place in the CONCACAF standings with just three games remaining. Only the top three teams in the group automatically advance to the World Cup, while the fourth team plays in a two match playoff for one last chance to qualify. If Mexico were to miss the World Cup, the ratings in North America for ESPN and Univision would seriously suffer next summer.
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