Doug McIntyre
Football journalist
For the primary time in eight tries, Mexico lastly bought the higher of the United States males’s nationwide staff, beating its largest rival 2-0 in Tuesday’s pleasant in Guadalajara.
Raúl Jiménez’s sensational first-half free-kick proved the distinction between the groups, who met for the second and ultimate time this 12 months in a uncommon exhibition match south of the border. Cesar Huerta doubled El Tri’s lead early within the second half, and the hosts by no means regarded again towards an American staff with out striker Christian Pulisic and several other different starters.
El Tri’s overcome the USMNT was its first since 2019, the longest profitable streak within the collection’ 87-year historical past. That was the primary defeat for brand spanking new US coach Mauricio Pochettino in his second recreation in cost. It occurred three days after the Argentine coach gained his debut towards Panama in Austin, Texas.
Here are some temporary insights from Tuesday’s contest.
Game of the sport
The American rear guard knew Jiménez intimately; the veteran striker performs with Antonee “Jedi” Robinson at Fulham of the Premier League. American captain Tim Ream was a teammate of each final 12 months.
But Ream and Robinson have been unable to cease the 33-year-old’s scream, which got here after what the US gamers claimed was a tender foul by Aidan Morris on Mexican winger Roberto Alvarado. Regardless, there was no doubting the standard of Jiménez’s 30-yard shot which beat Matt Turner cleanly and settled into the highest nook of the US goalkeeper’s web.
Turning level
Even with practically your entire half of the match nonetheless to be performed, Huerta’s shot successfully stopped the match at that second:
Truth be instructed, although, the percentages have been at all times stacked towards the Americans on this one. Their historic unbeaten streak was by no means going to final without end, a lot much less in Mexico, the place the United States now holds an all-time file of 1W-24L-4T.
And it was at all times unlikely to proceed with greater than half of Pochettino’s strongest attainable line-up absent on account of harm or, in Pulisic’s case, load administration. In addition to Pulisic, the Americans have been with out Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Sergiño Dest, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Mark McKenzie (injured within the warm-up and changed by Miles Robinson), Chris Richards and Tim Weah.
Key statistic
Mexico dominated from begin to end. But essentially the most damning statistic for the USMNT wasn’t that they conceded 15 photographs to El Tri, or that the hosts had extra of the ball regardless of main for 68 of the 90 minutes.
No, the most important sin was managing to make precisely zero photographs The Tritill US ahead Brandon Vazquez compelled save from house goalkeeper Luis Malagón within the 79th minute.
What is the way forward for Mexico?
On November 14 and 18, El Tri will face an opponent to be decided – most likely Honduras, though they may drop to the following Concacaf rating – within the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League, house and away.
What is the way forward for the United States?
The Americans may also be on responsibility within the Nations League subsequent month – their first aggressive video games beneath Pochettino – as they start their quest for a fourth consecutive title. As it stands, Jamaica is their probably enemy.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A former editor at ESPN and Yahoo Sports, he coated the United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups on the FIFA World Cup on 5 continents. Follow him @By Doug McIntyre.
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