After a crucial 2014 World Cup Qualifier win Tuesday, the United States added to its history in Crew Stadium by clinching a World Cup berth to next year's tournament in Brazil. For Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the atmosphere and history around the match being in Columbus adds a mental edge for the team, and a disadvantage to their rivals.
“I think the players, when they know that they're playing in Columbus, they know that they have 100 percent behind them. It gives them energy and it gives them confidence,” he said. “And the other thing is that your opponent hasn't won here in quite a while, and knows it's a difficult situation as well. It is a psychological game at the end of the day, and you could feel it... when the Mexican players didn't get a goal that they tried really hard for the first 20 or 25 minutes, it got heavier and heavier.
“They started to doubt themselves. The first touch was off for players who usually have a fantastic first touch. There's absolutely a psychological element in Columbus and it's definitely on our side.”
The last three times the United States has been the home team to face Mexico in a World Cup Qualifier, the match has taken place in Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. In 2001, 2005 and 2009, the home team left Columbus with a 2-0 victory over their CONCACAF rival, creating the legend of “Dos a Cero” along the way.
For Landon Donovan, who is no stranger to Crew Stadium and scored the game's second goal, qualifying in Crew Stadium was fitting.
“You could see it when you came to the stadium, it was rocking already. That's a real atmosphere,” Donovan told reporters after the match. “That's what we face when we go away, and it's nice that other teams have to face it when they come here... They certainly boosted us on tonight, and it was great to do it in front of them.”
Defender Omar Gonzalez experienced a qualifier in Columbus for the first time Tuesday, and said that it's an atmosphere a player has to see for himself.
“Obviously, I've heard about all the history. But coming here and playing here and seeing for myself first hand, it was really an incredible experience,” he said. “The amount of fans that showed up and were cheering for us the entire game, I think it really got into Mexico's head, especially when we scored that first goal, you could see it on their face, they were really defeated. Playing here in Columbus is really special.”
After the win, players watched the end of the match between Honduras and Panama, knowing that a Honduras win or tie would clinch the team's World Cup trip. Hundreds of loyal USA fans stayed in Crew Stadium until the game's conclusion, when a 2-2 tie sent the team into a celebration on the field with the fans.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard, whose impressive first half kept the score sheet blank heading into halftime, said that in his experience, the game taking place in Columbus is becoming an event no one expected.
“This is a great crowd. It's become its own monster,” Howard said. “People want to come to Columbus to see USA vs. Mexico. It's almost like the Mecca, really, for us. Because of the way results have gone the last four or five times, you almost feel like it's our destiny to win here.”
