Back in the win column

Just barely.

Grahame mentions a few reactions from the CONCACAF coaches at the post-game press conference.

One incident, though, was a bit amusing. When Hugo Sanchez sat down at the press table, he grumpily insisted that all those asking him anything identify the media group they were with. If they forgot, he would ask them who they were with before answering. I was sitting next to Ivan Orozco of the San Diego-Union Tribune, and he raised a hand to ask Sanchez a question. In Spanish, he told Hugo he was from the Union-Tribune in San Diego, then he asked Hugo what explanation he had to the Mexican public for the team's poor result - how was Hugo planning to reassure them after this tremendous disappointment.

In Spanish, Hugo barked at Ivan, "Where are you from? Who are you with?" Ivan repeated that he was from San Diego. "You're not Mexican?" pressed Hugo. Ivan said he was American. Hugo looked unconvinced, then muttered under his breath, "I thought he was Mexican - why would he be so concerned with the feeling of the Mexican public otherwise?"

In general, the press conferences are a disaster. They simply take too long. Coaches often don't emerge for a long time, and when they arrive, the translation issues means it takes quite a while to get through even a few questions. Meanwhile, the teams release players to pass through the mixed zone at the same time, so reporters are faced with a crappy choice - Miss the canned press conference questions to the coach, or miss the players who performed in the match. It's frustrating, to say the least.