My 3 Thoughts on USMNT-Mexico

Weah's Cross to Pulisic Creates Magic; McKennie Adds the 2nd in Another Dos a Cero

Weston McKennie scored the second goal of another dos a cero game against Mexico (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI — Here are my three thoughts on the USMNT’s 2-0 win against Mexico in Friday’s World Cup qualifier, bringing the U.S. to 14 points (first place) after seven games in the CONCACAF Octagonal and securing a third straight win over Mexico in 2021:

• Tim Weah made another huge play on a game-winning goal. One game after Weah’s shot found the net for the U.S.’s game-winning goal against Costa Rica, the winger’s gorgeous cross got redirected into the net by Christian Pulisic for the game-winner against archrival Mexico. It was a just reward for Weah, who had been dangerous all game, and for the U.S., which had been creating danger since the start of the second half down the right flank through Weah and DeAndre Yedlin. Give some credit, too, to Pulisic, who had just come into the game and had the wheels to get himself into position for the kind of headed goal that we haven’t seen him score that often over the years. USMNT heroes are made when they score against Mexico, and this was Pulisic’s second straight game against El Tri in which he has scored the game-winner after his penalty was the final strike in the 3-2 Nations League final win in June.

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• The U.S. defending was impressively solid. Posting a clean sheet against your biggest rival is a godsend, and the collective U.S. defense deserved every bit of it. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen made a couple big saves in the first half; Walker Zimmerman didn’t put a foot wrong all night in central defense; and the U.S.’s pressure all over the field kept Mexico on edge and prevented El Tri from getting any truly golden chances on goal. The only downside was Miles Robinson, the rock of the central defense, getting a second yellow card late and being sent off. What’s more, the U.S. midfield—aka MMA, McKennie-Musah-Adams—had a terrific game overall, and that included on the defensive side. Mexico was force to try to score on the break, and they couldn’t do much with it.

• The U.S. needs to be better on set-pieces moving forward. For as long as anyone can remember, the USMNT has used set-pieces to its advantage against Mexico and other teams—both at the attacking and defending ends. That was certainly the case in the two finals the U.S. won against Mexico last summer. But the U.S. has been surprisingly poor on set-pieces during World Cup qualifying—remember the corner-kick goal Panama scored to win 1-0 last month—and that continued on Friday. Set-piece deliveries, mostly from Brenden Aaronson, were lacking in quality, and Miles Robinson (who scored the game-winner on a set-piece vs. Mexico in the Gold Cup final) hasn’t been the same scoring threat on dead balls since he missed a golden set-piece chance early in the first World Cup qualifier at El Salvador.

What are your thoughts on the game? You can share them in the comments below.