There's only one bid for the teams in CONCACAF for the 2017 Confederations Cup available to be had, and the winner of the Gold Cup in 2013 and the winner in 2015 will get the right to battle it out for that one spot. Since the United States wasn't able to win the tournament which it hosted this summer, it will be forced into a one-match, winner-take-all playoff against Mexico at the Rose Bowl on Saturday for a match which will have huge implications for both teams in their immediate futures.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
You won't see any action resulting from this match for nearly two full years, but the winner will earn a coveted spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. The Confederations Cup isn't the end all, be all, but it is a great chance for exposure and gives eight teams a chance to test their mettle against the winners of the other confederations across the world. It's also a great chance to test out some of the pitches which will be on display a year later at the World Cup.
The United States was the runner up in this tournament in South Africa in 2009, and it went on to perform well at the World Cup, getting into the last 16 before bowing out to Ghana. Mexico qualified for the 2013 Confederations Cup, and it was also able to get into the knockout rounds the next year in Brazil.
FERRETTI FIGHTING FOR JOB
Perhaps the most intriguing question in this match is whether Ricardo Ferretti is ultimately going to have the interim tag removed from his title once this fixture is over with. Heat was always building on Miguel Herrera after poor results in friends and in Copa America earlier this year, and the fact that he won the Gold Cup was probably going to spare him his job even though El Tri looked bad in that tournament.
However, a brush up with a member of the media in the airport on the way back from the U.S. gave the Mexican federation all it needed to dismiss him.
Mexico has had a history of getting rid of managers on a whim, and we have no doubt that if this match is lost, Ferretti stands no chance of getting this job on a full-time basis, knowing that the team was iffy in friendly draws against Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina. A win though, would be huge for the Mexicans, and there would at least have to be serious consideration for Ferretti to maintain his job.
KLINSMANN COUNTING ON VETERANS
In friendly matches over the course of this summer, Jurgen Klinsmann counted on a lot of young kids to make big impacts. Even at the World Cup in 2014, bringing a youngster like DeAndre Yedlin instead of Landon Donovan made a statement that the future is now for U.S. soccer.
Yet with that premise in place, it almost seems odd that Klinsmann has put together a roster for this match against Mexico which features more vets than anything else. DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson have already been tabbed as starters at the back, while men like Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya and Jermaine Jones have been considered options to start in the midfield as well.
There is a real question as to why this is the case. Yes, there's something sentimental about letting some of these 30-somethings try to go out on a high from serious international play, but to us, this reeks of desperation instead. There have been no indications that Klinsmann is up on the chopping block if this match is lost, but there at least has to be consideration of that, and he has to know it to choose the Americans' most veteran side possible for this do-or-die match against Mexico.
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BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between the United States and Mexico is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Rose Bowl Stadium. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
