The domination continued. The United States men's national team earned its third win over rival Mexico in 2021, taking down El Tri 2-0 on Friday night in a crucial World Cup qualifier. Substitute Christian Pulisic, who just came back from a long injury layoff at club Chelsea, was the hero yet again against the neighbors to the south, scoring in the 74th minute. He was only on the pitch for five minutes before delivering with his second touch of the game, heading home from in front of goal off a lovely assist from Tim Weah down the right. Pulisic scored the winner against Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League final in June, as well. Here's his winning goal:
Weston McKennie found the net moments later continuing his fine form he's shown as of late with Juventus with a low, clinical finish, cementing the dos a cero scoreline:
If the United States was solid in the first half, they were great in the second half. Playing with a bit more urgency and sharper in their passing going forward, they finished with 18 shots and an xG of 2.17. Mexico had just eight shots and an xG of 0.72. Midfielder Yunus Musah was a bright spot for the victors, splitting the Mexico midfield with well-timed passing over and over again.
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Mexico manager Tata Martino had been a perfect 5-0 against the U.S. as a manager entering 2021, but with three straight losses in the series, his team has a lot of work to do as they continue to fail against their biggest rival.
The victory puts USA in first place in qualifying, jumping Mexico, and while there is a long way to go in order to qualify, Gregg Berhalter's team is sitting in a comfortable position at the halfway point.
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
USA | 14 |
| Mexico | 14 |
Canada | 13 |
Panama | 11 |
Costa Rica | 6 |
Jamaica | 6 |
El Salvador | 6 |
Honduras | 3 |
McKennie tries to combine with Adams, but the ball hits a defender and falls to him, and he finishes with class past Ochoa! Game over?!
