CINCINNATI — The serenade rained down from the stand known as the Bailey at TQL Stadium. They words were as familiar as they were uplifting.
“Dos a cero! Dos a cero!“
Yes, it was a new venue for the United States men’s national team, and the mantra was directed at a new generation of players, too, but the scoreline provided the same sense of satisfaction for the U.S. squad, which beat Mexico 2-0 thanks to goals from Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie to give it three vital points on the road to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
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It marked the sixth time since the turn of the century that the U.S. has won by that scoreline against El Tri in a competitive fixture. Most of those came at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, but TQL Stadium proved a comfortable fit, with a boisterous crowd helping the U.S. enjoy every ounce of home-field advantage. The result also marked a rare three-game winning streak against Mexico, the first since the mid-2000s and first such streak to take place in a calendar year.
“They understand what we’re about and we understand what they’re about,” said Pulisic. “That’s what makes a great rivalry, and I’m just really happy that we could come out on top again tonight. We knew it was always going to be a good game against Mexico, and to get three points just helps us get a lot closer to qualifying for the World Cup.”
But this win wasn’t so much about history as it was the present. On a night that witnessed some tightening in the Octagonal standings, the win kept the U.S. on course for World Cup qualification. The U.S. is now top, ahead of Mexico on goal differential with 14 points. That kept the U.S. one point ahead of Canada — 1-0 winners against Costa Rica — and three ahead…
Source : espn
