The United States and Mexico face off in World Cup qualifying this Friday at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium (stream LIVE on ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET). Stakes and emotions are always high when these sides clash, especially after two epic summer matches in tournament finals. Will the U.S. make it three in a row against El Tri, or will Mexico march out with bragging rights?
ESPN reporters Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) and Eric Gomez (@EricGomez86) break down what to look for from each side.
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How has each side performed since summer meetings?
Prior to this summer, the U.S. men’s national team had recorded just one victory against Mexico in a competitive match in more than 12 years. To pick up two — in the Gold Cup and Nations League finals — in just over two months was a significant accomplishment. Still, the magnitude of those two competitions pales in comparison to World Cup qualifying, so while they were celebrated, they didn’t resonate broadly.
There is not a one-size-fits-all reaction, of course, but the general takeaway — or at least the most logical one — was that it showed the U.S. had closed the gap in quality between it and Mexico and raised expectations headed into qualifying. In the two previous matches between the rivals, a 2019 friendly and the Gold Cup final earlier that year, Mexico was clearly on a different level. That wasn’t the case in either match over the summer with the U.S. fielding two almost completely different rosters. — Bonagura
Predictably, losing twice to the United States in title games didn’t go over too well for Mexican fans and media. Doing so in the span of two months cut deeper, and prompted the first wave of outright pressure for Gerardo…
Source : espn
