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After a tough fought 1-1 draw in the oppressive heat of Colombia, Coach Andi Herzog is happy with the result and is looking forward to the second leg in Frisco Texas for a little home cooking.
"I think it was a real good game for us, 1-1 is a good result," U-23 MNT head coach Andi Herzog said after the match. "You could see Colombia and us had a real good fight for 90 minutes. I expect in Dallas for us to be even better than today, and we have a chance to qualify."
The heat played a major factor in the away leg, you could see by the midway point of the second half that the team was gassed. It was so bad that they had to take a couple of scheduled water breaks during the match in accordance to FIFA rules.
"It was not easy for us. It was real hot here. We were expecting the tough conditions, and that’s why I have to give a huge compliment to my team," Herzog added. "Everyone saw that Colombia had a lot of pressure, and at the end they only had one goal."
The away goal was a crucial point in the tie and could easily come into play when it's all said and done. Make no mistake about it, it's going to be a touch and hard fought match. Herzog agrees.
"Colombia is a good team that can easily score away from home, too, but we will have a better game at home," Herzog said. "I expect another real fight for 90 minutes. It’s still close. Finishing 1-1 with the away goal was huge for us. I saw my team with a great fighting spirit, but at home we have to do a better job in possession and we’ll have a chance to qualify.
There's no update we can find on Ethan Horvath who suffered a concussion in Colombia. Cody Cropper will most likely get the start between the sticks.
There is no reason that the United States can't get a result against Columbia at home and put 2012 behind them. Ond goal will likely not do it. The U.S. is going to have to crack the Colombian defensive code. While the away goal is nice, they'd rather not have to have that come into play and just win the match outright.