The US national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann was extremely disappointed after his team lost a 2-0 lead against Mexico to only draw the match 2-2. The US came into the encounter knowing that this was one of the final few opportunities to test the team before the World Cup 2014.
Since they are in a very tough group, the US need to be at their best in order to have any chance of qualification. However, Klinsmann was left lost for words after his team produced two different halves against Mexico in a friendly match.
The team was brilliant in the first half of the encounter and managed to take a 2-0 lead after goals from Michael Bradley and Wondolowski.
However, the joy did not last for long after defensive lapses meant that Mexico came back with a flurry in the second half. Their first goal came from former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, while they managed to get back on level terms just a few minutes later when Pulido scored in the 67th minute. The match finished as a draw, which meant that the US have just one win in the last five matches.
Klinsmann said after the match that there were no guarantees about a place in the squad for the World Cup. Hence, players need to step up their performances.
“We told the players to be alert from the first minute of the second half, but they were not” he told the tyskland portugal odds website. “It took them too long to get back into the game, and then some mistakes that you can’t make in terms of how you concede the goals. So you take that away, you know you have to work on those things. Naturally, it’s open. How much it’s difficult to say,” Klinsmann said regarding the outcome of the match and also the potential surprises in the squad selection.