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When the young U.S. team steps on the Giants Stadium field for tomorrow’s 3 p.m. Gold Cup final against archrival Mexico, they’ll step into a swirling cauldron of emotions, a green-clad sellout crowd rooting for the visitors that’ll turn the Meadowlands into Mexico City for a day.
How this young team _ with no starters from the one that upset No. 1 Spain and led Brazil at halftime of last month’s Confederations Cup final _ handles their emotions may determine if they win their third straight regional crown Sunday. And no young hopeful will be a bigger key than Stuart Holden.
“We’re expecting a pro-Mexican crowd. There’ll be a lot of emotion flying around on both sides. It’s a passionate rivalry. It’s a rivalry you get excited for, a rivalry guys get up for, so it’ll be important to come out and get off to a good start,” said Holden, 23. “It’s important for us to get on top of them the first 10, 15 minutes, really put a stamp on the game.”
The versatile Holden _ who can play anywhere in the midfield _ has really put a stamp on this Gold Cup; and not just with his thrilling stoppage time equalizer aganst Haiti. With two goals and three assists, he’s tied with Mexican star Giovani Dos Santos for the most assists and with Honduras’ Walter Martinez for goals produced. In short, Holden has been golden.
“No, (I’m not surprised). Stuart’s a guy that’s shown that he’s a good player,” said coach Bob Bradley. “He’s one of a number of guys that’s taken advantage of the opportunity…Hopefully these experiences help him improve, and he can be a player that plays a role in our team as we move forward.”
Forward to the Aug. 12 World Cup qualifier in Azteca, the Mexico game that counts even more than today’s tilt. Still, in el clasico, no alibis of inexperience are accepted. Since the new millennium they’ve won 10 of 14 against Mexico, and are 9-0-2 in their last 11 home games vs. El Tri.
“These are the games you live for,” said Holden. And captain Brian Ching _ the lone holdover from the U.S. team that beat Mexico 2-1 in the 2007 Gold Cup final _ agreed.
“A game against Mexico is a game against Mexico, all right? There’s no real friendlies against these guys,” said Ching. “(It’s) fun, intense, exciting; along with it comes a little circus.”
Holden was born in Scotland, but when he was 10 his father Brian _ who worked for Chevron _ moved the family to Texas. He signed with England’s Sunderland in March, 2005, but after just two reserve games suffered a broken eye socket from being mugged by opposing fans. A broken ankle scuttled his trial at Leicester City the next year.
But he’s emerged at Houston, to the point they dealt two-time MLS Cup MVP Dwayne De Rosario this offseason to give him the keys to their midfield. Holden lost his father to pancreatic cancer this same preseason, but he says soccer has given him solace, and always made his father proud.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for years,” Holden said. “It’s been a good year other than obviously the passing of my dad, but that was…a bump and we’ve moved on. We’re celebrating his life rather than dwelling on the fact that he’s gone. I know he’s watching me in everything that I do, and I strive to make him proud.”
Surely Holden’s father will be proud tomorrow.