International

WCQ: Johnson, Lindpere ready for Tuesday qualifying matches

Sean Johnson

Tuesday marks another international match day and two Fire players are set to be involved…

Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson is in Mexico City with the U.S. Men’s National Team where the side will hope to earn a result against Mexico at the vaunted Azteca Stadium Tuesday night (9:30pm CT ESPN/Univision).

The U.S team comes off a character-building 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in snowy Denver last Friday while Mexico surrendered a two-goal lead to settle for just a point in a 2-2 draw away to Honduras in San Pedro Sula.

Johnson is expected to be a reserve behind former Fire PDL goalkeeper Brad Guzan while former Fire winger DaMarcus Beasley seems set to slot in at left back.

The U.S. are 1-23-1 all-time in Mexico but will be buoyed by the fact that single victory came in the last game the teams played, a 1-0 friendly win last August at the Azteca.

Mexican-based defender Michael Orozco Fiscal, who scored the late-game winner in that match, was called up as a late roster addition Monday night while midfielder Jermaine Jones suffered a left ankle sprain in Friday’s victory.

The win in August aside, Tuesday night’s game is slightly more important and with Mexico holding just two points from their first to Hex matches, they’ll be primed to get their first victory vs. their northern rivals.

A U.S. draw in the altitude and smog of Mexico City would be more than acceptable.

Elsewhere in CONCACAF, first-place Honduras visit third-place Panama while last-placed Costa Rica host Jamaica.

Lindpere, Estonia welcome Andorra

After playing 14 minutes as a substitute in Estonia’s 3-0 loss to Holland last Friday, the side returns to Tallinn to host tiny Andorra in a UEFA Group D qualifying clash Tuesday night.

With three points, Estonia sit fifth in the six-team group, ahead of Andorra who they beat 1-0 last October.


US v Costa Rica -- The Snow Game | The Hex Ep. 4