Despite the fact we've had a rash of injuries and some conflicts with clubs, we feel this game is an excellent test for our veteran players in Europe as well as some new players in the team.

I like the fact that we're not playing at altitude (as in Mexico City), and Columbus is as good a venue as we can select. We have no excuses. We need to step on the field and win.

Mexico City is a lopsided advantage for the Mexican team. With the altitude, it makes it a completely different game. But we know that when we play them anywhere else, we can beat them. We proved that tonight.

Despite the fact that the U.S. admitted no wrongdoing, they are compensating Mr. Elmaghraby for the injuries he suffered.

Because of that rash of injuries, other players have had to step up and fill the void and we're just getting adjusted to those new roles.

We had a rash of injuries at the center position last season - we went through seven of them. When we were trading Chris Jackson, we were looking to get a starting center, but there were no takers due to the vital importance of this position.