The U.S. has never won a match on Mexican soil with woeful record of 0-18-1 in Mexico City.

They will need to overcome the grueling combination of 7,200 feet in altitude, smog and more than 100,000 hostile fans if they are going to pull off a historical victory.

The match comes just 2½ weeks after the Mexicans’ 5-0 trouncing of the U.S. in the Gold Cup final — but nearly all the players in that match were backups. Before the victory Mexico had been 0-9-2 against the U.S. in the States since a March 1999 victory at San Diego.

The teams first met in 1934 in a World Cup qualifying match in Italy, and seventy-five years and 56 matches later, the intensity and hostility between these two teams of the CONCACAF region have never been at a higher level.

For the USA, a spot in the finals should be all but secure barring a huge meltdown, like the one displayed against Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. But missing the 2010 World Cup is a serious possibility for Mexico if the U.S. comes away from the Estadio Azteca with a draw or a win.

Six points from five games in the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying has left Mexico in fourth place in the six-team pool. The top three finishers progress directly to the World Cup, while the No. 4 finisher goes into a playoff against a tough South American team.

This will be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year and either outcome will produce some new history in this long-running rivalry.

FIFA World Cup Qualification CONCACAF Betting
Mexico Even
USA +250
Draw +225
My Play : USA 2 Mexico 1