There are several reasons why the United States-Mexico soccer rivalry continues to develop into something special.

The main two are: 1) because the teams are evenly matched and 2) because they absolutely despise each other.

U.S. defender Jimmy Conrad did his bit to stoke things up a bit further this week, launching into an attack on the personality of Mexico's Barcelona star Rafa Marquez in this Q&A with USA Today's Beau Dure.

Rivalries like this one need "hate" figures, and Marquez is clearly the man the U.S. players love to get the better of, just as Landon Donovan is a target for Mexico's team and fans.

When the teams meet up in World Cup qualifying later this year, the games may not have too much bearing on reaching South Africa in 2010 because both sides are heavy favorites to advance.

But you can bank on plenty of passion, especially if some more comments like Conrad's go flying back and forth over the coming months.

THOUGHT OF THE NIGHT

"He (Marquez) is the one that basically refuses to make eye contact with any American players because we're apparently a step below or a whole level below whatever he thinks in his own mind" – Jimmy Conrad, U.S. defender

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