Central midfielders emerging for US

COLUMBUS -- Sacha Kljestan said something strange is going on with the U.S. national team and it was never more exemplified by the player who scored twice in a rousing victory against Mexico in a World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday night.

Midfielder Michael Bradley scored both goals, including one in stoppage time, that gave the USA their third successive 2-0 win against Mexico in Crew Stadium, following victories in 2001 and 2005 qualifiers.

"This is going to become National Stadium pretty soon," Kljestan said. "We need to play all our home games here if we win 2-0. I'm pretty proud we got three points to start qualifying."

Bradley's gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute and helped it win the opening game of the final round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

His scores came after Kljestan, a midfielder for Chivas USA, scored all three goals in the USA's previous game on Jan. 24, a 3-2 win against Sweden.

"It's not common the two deep-line midfielders would get all the goals and be the leading scorers on the team but that's how it worked out. I got three and now he got two," he said. "I'm sure Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Brian Ching are going to be the leaders moving forward this year.

"(Bradley) is a good player. He's had a lot of good performances for us the past year. He's getting better. I'm getting better. Our partnership is getting better every day. We have a good relationship on and off the field. He's easy to play with. I'm very proud of him. I'm happy he did it in front of the home crowd in a huge game."

Papa Bradley was happy, too. U.S. national team manager Bob Bradley has seen his son ply his trade in Europe and develop into a complete player yet didn't give Michael any extra kudos.

"I have three children and I'm proud of all my kids," said Bob Bradley. "I have a great family and I'm a lucky man. That's got nothing to do with whether we win or lose tonight."

Battling a fierce wind throughout the match, the U.S. controlled the center of the park as Bradley had hoped.

"Our midfield tonight, we needed to impose our game on them, in particular Pavel Pardo, who I think is the key player on their team," Bradley said. "Our midfield play, our work ethic was really important. That set the tone.

"It wasn't a night we got our best performances from each guy but collectively there was an understanding what kind of game it was. It had something to do with Mexico and something to do with the conditions."

Kljestan said he and Michael Bradley were just following orders.

"Overall defensively we were pretty good. It was a good effort by everybody," he said. "In the middle of the field between Michael and I we wanted to make it really hard on Pardo tonight and I think we did a good job. He turned it over a lot tonight."

The sellout crowd of 23,776 was largely a red, white and blue affair but the Mexicans had a good following as well. Nothing less would be expected in this border rivalry.

"Anytime you play against Mexico it's special. I really enjoy playing qualifiers. To be part of a team effort like that and get three points is a good feeling," Michael Bradley said. "In the locker room before the game tonight you looked around and you knew we were ready to play. It's not one guy. It's not Landon. It's not me. We have 11 guys who went on the field to make sure we got three points."

Crew defender Frankie Hejduk said the team continues to feed off the support from the fans.

"Columbus fans made it hard for them again. The weather came in. The fans were there and it was crazy like it was supposed to be," he said. "The fans were behind us. It's as close as were going to get to a pro-American crowd. They were chanting the whole time. The weather was an issue but it was the same for both teams.

"That's why you have a home-field advantage. We're lucky to have this type of venue. Here in Columbus. It's just been crazy that every time it's been 2-0, 2-0, 2-0. It's been a great venue. It's been awesome for the players and U.S. soccer."

Goalkeeper Tim Howard agreed.

"We knew coming to Columbus it was going to be a good crowd, sold out. It's always good to see the U.S. in large numbers and tonight was no different," he said. "Obviously, we got a good result and that made them that just louder and rowdier. We enjoyed it. They enjoyed it."

Howard made a save on Giovani dos Santos from close range in the third minute before the U.S. settled down.

The winning goal came after Hejduk forced a corner kick by getting the ball off a Mexican defender at the end line.

"I timed it," Hejduk said. "Ching made an incredible pass and placed it in there and luckily I was able to get there and get a corner out of it."

DaMarcus Beasley sent the corner past the far post to Donovan, who headed it into the goal area where Oguchi Onyewu put a header on goal. After Oswaldo Sanchez made the save, Bradley was there for the rebound.

"DaMarcus served a great ball. Landon sent a great ball back. There were a bunch of guys there. It bounced loose to me," Bradley said.

On the insurance goal, the U.S. had survived several threats after Mexico went down a man after defender Rafael Marquez was given a red card for going in studs-up on Howard in the 64th minute.

"I am sorry. I apologize publicly, in the locker room and to the Mexican FA," was how Marquez was translated by Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson afterward.

With time running out, Bradley's long, low strike gave the U.S. a 2-0 score again.

"Jozy (Altidore) and Landon made a good play to cut back behind the defense. I moved forward, got the ball and shot on target," he said.

The U.S. is now 9-0-2 on home soil vs. Mexico since 2000.

"We did our job. That's why we play the game. The boys battled hard," Hejduk said. "I have so many emotions right now. I had so many before the game, during the game. We were always around the ball and made it hard for them to play. That was the plan."

There was a postgame scuffle in the tunnel to the locker rooms and Hejduk said he was knocked on the head by a Mexican official.

"There were some words said," he said. "I think they thought I said something I didn't say. It was a little love tap from someone on the head. It wasn't one of the players. It was one of the administrators."