Forty-eight hours boys and girls. That's all that stands between us and kickoff of USA-Mexico (or should it be Mexico-USA?) at the famed fortress known as Estadio Azteca.

The buildup is in full swing, and it includes assertions on both sides that the respective teams are ready to play, that confidence is high, and that victory is expected. The "buzz" is building, that much is certain.

I myself am attempting to focus on the tasks at hand (the paying gig) while my brain is working on the impossible task of transporting me forward in time to 4 pm ET on Wednesday. I've even managed to talk my soccer-resistant brother into coming over for the game, so I'm looking forward to it more than I might usually.

MFUSA plans for Wednesday also include a special edition of the podcast post-game, so check back for more details to come. While the show will be recorded and posted for download after the fact, there's also tentative plans to stream the show live, incorporating feedback from the listeners.

So how's your Monday? Are you as distracted as I am?

A collections of links relating to the game for your perusal:

USA-Mexico Update (Soccer Insider)
USA Roster Breakdown (Avoiding The Drop)
Five factors favor the US as it looks to break curse in Azteca (SI.com)
Guardado: "Of Course We Will Win" (SBI)
USA-Mexico behind tennis on Extra Mustard event for the week (SI.com)
US Players Like Their Chances at Estadio Azteca (ESPNSoccernet)
US Soccer Seeks First Win in Mexico (Voice of America)