Andres Guardado Confident of Mexico Victory in World Cup Qualifier

Mexican winger Andres Guardado predicted a 3-0 Mexico win over the U.S.

As if Wednesday's hotly anticipated U.S./Mexico showdown at the Azteca Stadium didn't already have enough prematch buildup, Mexican midfielder Andres Guardado did his best to fan the flames by making a bold prediction. Monday the Deportivo La Coruna player not only predicted a win by El Tri, but told Goal.com that it would come by a 3-0 margin.

Guardado and the rest of the Mexican camp have plenty of reason to be confident for Wednesday's crucial 2010 CONCACAF World Cup qualifier in light of a 5-0 win over the U.S. at Giants Stadium last month in the Gold Cup final, even if the U.S. fielded a secondary 'B' lineup.

For what it's worth, it's nearly impossible to tell what kind of context Guardado's statement was made. Obviously actually saying "3-0" it makes news, but overall it seems somewhat innocuous.

"But of course we will win; three-nil. We have many quality players; it has become clear that the team has been preparing well and the only thing left is to demonstrate that in the field on Wednesday."

Perhaps Guardado's prematch prediction and confidence are a response to U.S. star Landon Donovan's remarks a few days earlier to Goal.com's Greg Lalas. Donovan, who like Guardado didn't play in the Gold Cup final, verbalized what a lot of the U.S. fanbase had been thinking since the end of the Confederations Cup in June -- this would be the best chance for the U.S. to end its winless streak in Mexico City.

"We're not going [to Mexico City] for a point. We're going there to win the game and we're going to keep playing the way we're playing."

So with all this you can add a war of words to all the other ingredients -- longstanding rivalry, hostile environment, Mexico absolutely needing the three points, etc. -- that are already simmering in the pot. Will bold predictions made by Guardado and Donovan cause things to boil over when the two teams meet in what figures to be a smoggy and sweltering mid-afternoon Mexico City sun?