Photo by ISIPhotos.com
BY ADAM SERRANO
Fans of the United States and Mexico were unable to see the two arch-rivals face off this year during Olympic Qualifying, but thanks to a blast from the past, they'll get their fix.
The Legends Classic, a match featuring several of the greatest players to play for the US and Mexico is scheduled to take place at the Home Depot Center on April 15th at 9pm EDT. According to former Chivas USA captain Mariano Trujillo, who is scheduled to play for Mexico, the lineups are predominantly made up of players from the 1990s and the early 2000s.
Currently confirmed for the US squad are World Cup veterans Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Marcelo Balboa, Clint Mathis, Paul Caligiuri, Thomas Dooley and Cobi Jones. Also expected to participate are John O'Brien, who appeared in two World Cups for the US; Cle Kooiman, a defender on the US' 1994 squad as well as former MLS stars Roy Lassiter, Ted Eck, Jovan Kirovski and Christopher Sullivan.
The Mexican roster is led by former Chivas USA standouts Francisco "Paco" Palencia, Ramon Ramirez and Claudio Suarez as well as former MLS stars forward Luis Hernandez and goalkeeper Jorge Campos. Also included are Alberto Garcia Aspe, a veteran of three World Cups and Club America great Zague.
There have also been a number of reports that could see the roster include proflic forwards Brian McBride and Jared Borgetti according to ESPNLA and Hoy Los Angeles, respectively.
Was this announced earlier and this is just the reminder bit of press going around? This is the kind of thing some people might want to make the trek to see, but it’s only 9 days away.
Who do people think of the current USMNT will be the next Lalas/Harkes? I could see Boca not being particularly astute, and while Landon always seems pretty insightful during interviews, I could see him having a bit of the Lalas annoying factor.
You think Lalas is more annoying than harkes? Harkes also appears to be kind of a horrible guy.
Lalas is super annoying! That guy never shuts up. Everytime i watch him on ESPN he won’t let anyone talk. He just keeps talking and talking and talking and…. you get the picture.
Whatever the case, I hope Lalas is growing a beard just for this match
I think Harkes is just dumb, says nothing insightful and generally just states the obvious. Alexi can occasionally be interesting just because of his obvious passion, but generally he is really pompous and brash and annoying to listen to. But I wouldn’t say he’s unintelligent in the way Harkes is. Twellman is like a more pompous version of Alexi.
I hope Lalas gets kneeded in the groin again. Useless.
I bet that Wynalda has already looked in to seeing if any of his goals will close the gap between him and Landy.
Have you ever heard Boca give an interview? Always seemed like a well-spoken guy to me, but I wouldn’t expect him to move into commentary.
I don’t look forward to when Donovan is inevitably in the booth, though. The reason we love him for country and hate him when he’s playing against our club is because he’s a punk. Which means he’ll be much sought after for TV work when he retires.
This going to be televised? it would be fun to watch and to see what Campos is going to wear. I hope he brings back the mullet and Lalas brings back the beard. Can they dust Tony Meola off for this one? or, even better, get Keller to do it!
Keller would be awesome – so would the 1994 fake denim and stars jerseys
I foresee us getting a beat down.
I hope someone knees Lalas in the nuts.
I get all the Harkes/Lalas/Wynalda hate… certainly those guys have all shown themselves to be various levels of buffoons. But as someone who watched these guys drag US soccer into the world in a time when there was little money in it, I gotta always give them some love.
Will the attendance be higher than a Chivas USA match?
Seriously man. Those guys are legends. They earned the right to be crazy old men. No respect.
Hopefully JOB can find his form in this game so he can contribute in the upcoming qualifiers.
Who is this John O’Brien guy?
US legends will win provided Jeff Agoos doesn’t suit up!
Will Cobi once again become the punching bag for Mexico? I bet they already have a plan to spit, kick, punch, claw, grab, and slap Cobi. I hope he’s prepared!!!
Just because they are the founding fathers of the US soccer movement does not make them above criticism. I might argue the exact opposite.
I have a lot of respect for Ives, but won’t hesitate to be critical of a perceived problem.
Would be a fun game to see. Bet that Lalas is sucking down o2 on the sideline.
I’d be interested in watching this as well.
You know the game is on the rise when they trot out an Old Timers soccer match.
I think what I dislike most about Lalas is his insistence on referring to a particular player as “a brian ching’ or ‘a jermaine jones’. WTF does that even mean?
Isn’t this match suppose to be 6v6?
look for JOB to dominate these guys.
Agreed sir
EDDIE POPE!!!!!!
I absolutely loved those as a kid. And of course put Keller in the net.
What about: Ramos, Reyna, Keller, and McBride? I want to win. : )
and pope : )
fingers crossed!
McBride?
According to SBI Harkes isn’t listed as expected to play. One wonders if there is still some hostility.
Duh, there he is. Sometimes the last paragraphs of SBI stories contain things besides “What do you think of ______? Will Jones get assaulted again by ______?” My mistake.
i didn’t see that originally either. i think they updated it, so maybe its not us!
Seriously?
Meola please? For old times sake.
…and a double bonus for everyone sporting a mullet!
Most of the guys listed live in and around Los Angeles or Southern California. Many of them coach area youth teams (e.g., Caliguri, Lassiter, Dooley). I expect that this helped determine who was invited to play.
Nah, the Meola Mullet has to be the thing. Ah, the early 90s… Garth Brooks and WC qualification in the air…
Just hoping he doesn’t get injured.
Personally I’d have a hard time playing with a guy who did that, even after all these years.
I highly doubt it is a matter of invitation, more likely a matter of respectfully declining in my mind.
lol
Same. I’m a little surprised by the short notice. Give us at least a couple of weeks, not 9 days.
There is a John O’Brien? Not sure till he takes the pitch. Lalas could wear his number if he doesn’t show.
Is anyone still pissed that Roy Lassiter go the shaft in France ’98 in favor of Roy Wegerle? Not that it would have made that big of difference.
This is awesome.
LOL
SUCH a brilliant idea!
Ramirez better wear an industrial strength cup. There’s no way Lalas is going this chance go by without directing a two-footed lunge at Ramon’s joy department.
Yes! I have fantasy-world 20/20 hindsight rosters going all the way back to 1990. For the 98 version, switching the two Roys is a must! Actually, I really do think he would have been useful in that Iran game: all sorts of garbage balls in the box plus his speed could have stretched their packed defense. It was totally his game.
(I also switch 80% fit Ramos with Kirovski, 80% fit Wynalda with Wagner, and 100% useless Lalas with 18-year old O’Brien. Result: win against Iran and a plucky but doomed draw with Yugoslavia followed by goal difference elimination. Christ, my fantasy-world 20/20 hindsight US teams are good….)
 Cle Kooiman – really?!?! I thought that they wanted to have legends play, not legendary hacks. I could have done without ever hearing his name again.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TELEVISE THIS!!!!
Luis Hernandez = bigtime a*%hole
Uh, he’s supposed to keep talking and talking, he’s a studio analyst. It would be rather odd if they went to him and he just sat there quietly, reading something or looking at the camera not saying anything. I can understand when people say announcers talk to much, especially when they seem to ignore the game, but studio people?
That was one of the dirtiest, cowardly and most uncalled for things I’ve ever seen in a match, and along with how Mexico, especially back then, would never show the slightest bit of professional respect to the US team, is why I have no respect for their national team.
Coach said Roy Wegerle was his golfing buddy.
Ditto! That was one of the funniest things I ever seen….LMAO
tv?