U.S. vs. Mexico: A crucible for Ricardo Clark?

Even before he confidently predicted victory in a place the U.S. national team has never won (more on that in a moment) Ricardo Clark was priming for what figures to be the biggest game of his budding soccer career.

When the Americans take on Mexico Wednesday at the forbidding Estadio Azteca in a colossal World Cup qualifying match (4 p.m., mun2, Telemundo) the former AFC Lightning club and St. Pius X standout is a likely candidate to be in Bob Bradley’s starting squad.

After numerous fits and starts that have included injuries and disciplinary issues (including a red card in the Confederations Cup), Clark has recovered nicely this summer to raise his game and his profile.

His play in South Africa, filling in at defensive midfield for an injured Maurice Edu, earned him some interest overseas, including an offer from Livorno of Italy’s Serie A that he may accept by the end of the year.

And Clark’s form is cresting for Major League Soccer powerhouse Houston Dynamo, as he scored his first goal of the season over the weekend.

With the U.S. needing three points to virtually seal another trip to the World Cup — and potentially slay the aspirations of its fiercest rival — Clark sounded quite ready for the challenge when he proclaimed: “It’ll be a great experience, and it’ll be nice to beat Mexico on their soil.”

No pressure at all, mate.

The Americans will probably be soaking up pressure everywhere with El Tricolor coming off a 5-0 thrashing of the U.S. “B” team in the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. A re-energized Mexican attack features the young, free-flowing Giovani dos Santos, who scored during the team’s June win over Venezuela in the Georgia Dome. As one of the first lines of defense, Clark’s going to be fiercely tested.

But will it be any more intense than the consecutive games against Spain and Brazil in the Confederations Cup? If the Americans can’t draw from their experiences in those games, then they may never claim Mexico’s scalp in this “House of Horrors.”

There’s certainly going to be plenty of scrutiny paid to Landon Donovan, whose skill, leadership and brio will be crucial for the Americans to end their winless drought.

From our little parochial corner of the American soccer universe, this game represents Clark’s best chance not only to solidify a place on the U.S. team, but also to help write no small piece of American soccer history.