Former USA and Mexican National Team Stars Play in Reunion Match
Minnesotan Tony Sanneh Plays in USA v Mexico Reunion Game
Last Saturday in the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas, you may have had a hard time convincing some retired US and Mexican National Team soccer players that “time heals old wounds.” A USA vs Mexico Reunion match was held in which some of those countries’ former National Team stars got to lace up the cleats one more time and enter back into competition between the North American neighbors. The heated rivalry between the two CONCACAF powers, Mexico and the USA, is said to be one of the most intense in the international world of soccer.
While things may not have risen to the same fevered pitch as when these players wore their countries’ colors, things still got spirited for a while. Tony Sanneh, former 2002 US World Cup star, participated in the reunion game for the first time on Saturday. Going into the match Sanneh reported he’d heard the game could get chippy at times. The match didn’t disappoint Sanneh who said that things did indeed get physical for a while. But overall he said the players had a great time and the supporters in the stands seemed to as well.
20,000 fans, mostly Mexican supporters, came to watch the reunion match. “I was amazed to see how many people turned out,” said former 1990 and 1994 US World Cup player Paul Caligiuri. “I know that we had our stars and Mexico had their stars. But, for a game of alumni, it’s amazing.”
Sanneh echoed those thoughts and said there were moments in the game that “got very exciting.” Mexico’s Marco Antonio Ruiz volleyed a chip pass from Benjamin Galindo to put the Mexicans up 1-0.
The second goal came from Luis Hernandez. Sanneh praised the shot calling it “a great goal.”
The Mexicans beat the US 2-0 but even though the USA lost, Sanneh said, “All in all it was a good day.”
Some of the notables to suit up for the game:
Mexico
Claudio Suarez, Jorge Campos, Luis Hernandez and Ramon Martinez.
USA
Marcelo Balboa, Paul Calageri, Fernando Clavijo, Thomas Dooley, Cle Kooiman, Tony Sanneh, and Dante Washington.
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You mean 2002 World Cup.
Nice article.
Typo, yes, 2002. Fixed thanks.
Great memories. Thanks BQ.
Yes, thats right over 18,000 fans for a game that had no meaning but this city loves soccer.I have live in El Paso for 23 years, im actually 23 years old but El Paso is a soccer city and every time we have a friendly game from mostly Mexican first division teams, we have over 20,000 fans, and if MLS comes to El Paso for a preseason game, put down for sure over 18,000 fans. I have told Du Nord, MLS Rumors, WVHooligan but they say EL Paso cant handle an MLS team. We had the Juarez Indios for two years, but they were relegated just this season and mostly it was El Paso fans going across the border to fill more than half of their 22,000 seat stadium. We need MLS to check out El Paso, Texas, we are way better than Dallas, we can easily compete with Houston and San Antonio, Austin. This city is a hidden gem of soccer fans in the southwest and in the U.S. If not, check our history with soccer in El Paso, Texas. We have lots of land for a stadium, we have over a 500,000 soccer fans including the border city of Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas.
Feel Free to e-mail me back, finally El Paso made Du Nord headlines and got someones attention.
So what you’re saying is El Paso is the Portland of the Southwest?