St. John's University Athletics
Wingert, U.S. Soccer Team to Face Mexico Tonight
2/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 10, 2004
JAMAICA, N.Y. -- Former St. John's men's soccer standout Chris Wingert (Babylon, N.Y.) has faced his share of challenges since he began playing soccer as a youngster.
And during the last four years, he's had his share as well, playing in two Final Fours and two BIG EAST Championships.
Tonight, however, he will face, perhaps, the biggest challenge of his career, as the United States Under-23 National team will face its archrival, Mexico, for a chance to go to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
To say that it will be a big game is an understatement. For nearly every member of the United States team - with the exception being World Cup standouts DeMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan - this is the biggest game of their lives.
And it will played in front of 60,000 vocal, volatile fans cheering the home team on at Estadio Jalisco when the match kicks off at 8 p.m. CT live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.
"I think we're happy so far," Wingert said on Saturday after the U.S. posted a 4-3 win over Honduras to advance. "It was nice to win the group and win all three games and to have a positive ending before we head into the semifinal. The tournament really starts now for us. Obviously, are expectations are to go the Olympics. It's going to be a tough match on Tuesday, but we're looking forward to it."
Mexico will likely throw out its usual 3-3-3-1 formation, which basically amounts to two lines of defense and four all-out attackers. On the attack, everything goes through tiny midfielder Luis Ernesto Perez, who had a foot in all four goals in their 4-0 win over Jamaica and the lone goal in the 1-1 tie with Costa Rica. For the U.S., it's no secret that it will have to rely on the speed, experience and finishing ability of its three key players -- Bobby Convey, Beasley and Donovan -- to strike quickly on the counter-attack. In the back, central defenders Nat Borchers and Chad Marshall will be under constant attack by a team that likes to build up through the middle with quick passing and one-on-one challenges. Both teams will be missing a reserve defender due to red cards received in their respective final opening round matches. Omar Monjarez received yellow cards in the 13th and 90th minutes in the 1-1 draw with Costa Rica, while U.S. left back Jose Luis Burciaga received a straight red card for handling the ball in the box in the 29th minute.
"I think part of it is that it's the two best teams in CONCACAF, at least since I've been alive," Wingert said of the rivalry. "I think part of it is that the full teams have had some great battles, so that kinda carries over to the Olympic and youth teams. Now that we're here in Mexico, that just adds to it ... to the excitement, to the rivalry. It's going to be a great game on Tuesday."
Wingert led St. John's to a 17-6-3 record in 2003 and the No. 2 final national ranking in the country. The winner of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, presented to the top player in college soccer, the Red Storm lost in the NCAA National Championship game to Indiana.
