I Love the Smell of Desperation

On February 11, the United States kicks off the final round of qualifications for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by hosting bitter rival Mexico at Crew Stadium in Columbus. We've owned Mexico in recent years, beating them repeatedly outside of Mexico City (including in the 2002 World Cup in Korea). Think it's getting to them just a bit? Oh yeah:

The Mexican sports daily Record had published an ad for the campaign on Tuesday, printing coupons for fans to clip and redeem at their local Radio Shack store for a voodoo-doll likeness of a U.S. player.

An illustration showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll in a U.S. jersey; the doll grimaced in pain with its arms covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from its No. 10 jersey, stuck with pushpins.

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'Help end the losing streak so Mexico advances,' the ad read.

FWIW, Radio Shack has pulled out of the promotion. Not that it matters, at this point. Smells like victory!