FanHouse

9:15 PM. Lineups up and in: Altidore(!!!). We've actually got a 4-4-2 going this game with Dempsey joining Jozy up top. Almost fully first-team squad with a rare Convey appearance on the left wing. One potential downer: the outside defenders are Ramiro Corrales and Drew Moor. Ugly.

No Castillo, Blanco for Mexico. Let's get it on! Death to Mexico*!

*(Not really. But loss.)

9:19 PM. Didn't the kids used to get actual kits instead of stupid McDonalds tshirts? Also, the way Mexicans salute the flag... creepy. Marquez! You hack!

9:22 PM. Crowd shot of a Mexican guy with ashes on his head for Ash Wednesday, immediately followed by a big bearded USA loon. Woo.

Also, what do those McDonald's tshirts say? "Me encanta." Traitors!
9:25 PM. This is getting towards Super Bowl levels of delay here. Ah. Kickoff.

2'. Dempsey looks like Liam Gallagher. Or Noel. Whatever. Nothing going on so far. Ricardo Clark attempts to reprise his long-range Gold Cup goal to little effect.oh

4' Mexico looking more dangerous early. Bocanegra gives up an unwise foul in what looks a fairly dangerous position but Mexico just chucks it around the back. US struggling to get possession.

6' Corrales and Convey are not working well together. One stretch of possession ends with an aimless ball up the field; Convey gets stripped of possession on the next foray. Dangerous free kick coming up, as Convey gets clattered.

Donovan's cross is too low.

11' Corrales is useless with the ball; every time he tries anything other than the most basic pass it's a turnover. Dempsey earns a deep-ish throw with some nice footwork, then gives it away. It's disjointed on both ends, but I don't see how the US is going to generate much offense with this lineup.

Dempsey looks lively, though.

14' Michael Bradley is completely bald, by the way. It's freaky. He looks like he has cancer. Alitdore gets his first touch, but it's after Marquez dives like the princess he is and gets the call.

17' Jesus! Bocanegra turns a routine catch of an errant cross by Howard into a fiasco by plowing into Howard. Bocanegra gets a knee to the groin and elbow to the face and stays down. Mexicans celebrate. Howard did excellently to keep track of the ball during the collision.

Oh, they're showing shots of Michael Parkhurst warming up. I don't think I like that idea.

19' Dangerous free kick for Mexico ends up with no one even attempting to get on the end of it. Good job Hugo.

Bradley gets schooled on a free run permitted by an overaggressive Clark opening up space; Howard makes a fine save on a long ball, our first of the night. Guardado gets in on a partial break and Howard makes another nice save. First two shots of the night.

22' We're really on our heels. Screwup by moor leads to a cross that the blonde bandana-wearing goof idiotically tries to back-heel into the net from 15 yards; the deflection falls to Guardado, who punts it over. Really ugly so far.

24' Moor boots it directly out of bounds. What about this guy's horrendous performance in the Copa warranted a further look, and against Mexico of all teams?

26' US gets its first shot on goal off a throw in, but it's from such a sharp angle from Dempsey it doesn't have any chance. Dempsey makes a nice turn after possession goes back to midfield and plays Donovan in... cross! Altidore.... over his head. Mexican D boots it OOB, but US picking it up for the first time.

28' US keeps up the pressure with a deep throw from Gooch. Actually gets to Altidore's head but out to Donovan. He loops in another cross.... Gooch charging in from the sideline... header... looping... GOAL!!!! GOALAZO! Magnificent arcing header that brushed off the crossbar and in!

33' The complexion of the game has hanged... and as I'm about to say this, Corrales gives the ball away leading to a dangerous long ball that leads to a free kick... AAAARGH. Mexi-goal. Pretty badass flying ninja kick off a great, great cross from the free kick. Moor lost his man. Maybe everyone on BigSoccer complaining about Bradley the Elder's infatuation with Bornstein will shut up now... the outside backs here have been atrocious.

36' Donovan isn't that involved but he's done a good job of pressuring the Meixcans at key points; this time it leads to a throw and a dangerous cross that doesn't connect. Altidore almost got to it... not a penalty but looked like might have been initially.

EEEEEEK. Ack.

38' And hey, you're Mexico: two-footed tackle with no hope of even touching the ball on Donovan. Yellow card for Salcido. Dicks.

40' Drew Moor... kinda forgiven. After a corner looks dangerous for Mexico, Howard fists it to safety and sets up a USA break. Nothing comes of it but late reacting Mexican defenders allow Moor a free cross, which bends directly to Altidore! Towering header!!! GOAL!

41' Holy s---, Tim Howard just made an amazing diving save.

42' GOAL! Dempsey powers through two Mexican defenders, cuts to the top of the box, and NAILS a shot into the bottom corner! 3-1 USA.

What? What? Offsides? OFFSIDES ON WHAT? Replay reveals that not only was there no one anywhere near the goalie on the goal but no one was offsides. Atrocious. Pure robbery. The kind of call that should get some one fired. Or accosted by Colombian gangsters.

45' It's 2-1 USA, BTW. It's been frantic.

Jozy just made a bad pass, got it back, and spun around a Mexican defender to run down the sideline; Bradley picks up a wimpy yellow. I still can't believe that freakin' call.

End of the first half. USA 3 2, Mexico 1.