What USMNT Is Up Against vs. Mexico, Jamaica
When the November international window is completed, the U.S. men's national team will be more than halfway through World Cup qualifying. It'll have just two windows left to go, with the end to the sprint of a marathon somehow both firmly in focus yet also still a ways off in the distance.
There are both some pros and cons for the U.S. as camp begins in Cincinnati, where the U.S. will face Mexico on Friday night before heading south to Jamaica for a second date vs. the Reggae Boyz on Nov. 16. There's no Sergiño Dest or Gio Reyna due to injuries and no John Brooks due to a dip in performance. That right there robs the U.S. of three players who profile as potential starters in Qatar next year, provided the U.S. qualifies. On the flip side, Weston McKennie arrives after hitting a level of scorching form for Juventus, while Tyler Adams is fit and playing well for RB Leipzig. Most notably, Christian Pulisic is back. The Chelsea star has played 22 minutes off the bench in two games since returning for the Blues from an ankle injury suffered in September—and the subsequent setbacks that lengthened his recovery period—and while his presence in U.S. camp may be a source of anxiety for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, it's a comfort for U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter and Pulisic's international teammates.
"We know how much quality he has," U.S. winger Brenden Aaronson said Monday. "It's another confidence boost just having him here."
Precisely how much Pulisic will be able to play is one of the big looming questions for the U.S. As for the opponents lining up on the other side, what are they bringing to the table for a pair of pivotal games? Here's a closer look:
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MEXICO
The U.S. got the better of Mexico in two thrilling Concacaf finals this summer, but the stakes change during World Cup qualifying—especially with the U.S. looking to restore its home mystique after Rafa Márquez & Co. bucked the trend of losing in Columbus by winning there in dramatic fashion to open the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
The scene shifts a little over 100 miles to the southwest, with FC Cincinnati's TQL Stadium the new site for the next chapter between the border rivals. But while plenty of focus will be on the grandeur of the one matchup, Mexico has a pretty big opportunity when looking at this window as a whole. With games at the U.S. and at Canada—arguably the two toughest matchups it can have—in quick succession, and with El Tri sitting atop the Octagonal standings (14 points; U.S. has 11 points, Canada has 10), a World Cup qualifying berth can all but be secured with a pair of wins, especially considering the fixtures that remain in the final two windows. Nevertheless, the pressure will surely be on manager Tata Martino to avoid a third straight competitive defeat to the U.S., even if a loss won't really do much to threaten Mexico's chances to go to Qatar.
In terms of personnel, Mexico is dealing with some roster churn. Celta Vigo defender Néstor Araujo is suspended vs. the U.S. after being sent off in Mexico's last match, while Chivas forward Alexis Vega is out injured. There's also no place for LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos—whose great goal gave Mexico the 2019 Gold Cup title at the U.S.'s expense—or Diego Lainez, who has been a thorn in the U.S.'s side in his brief national team career and scored what looked to be the Concacaf Nations League final winner in June, before McKennie's equalizer followed soon after.
A formidable, veteran-laden squad remains, though, with explosive attackers, guile and experience in midfield and defense and a rock in goal in Memo Ochoa.
Full Mexico Squad:
GOALKEEPERS: Rodolfo Cota (León), Guillermo Ochoa (América), Alfredo Talavera (Pumas)
DEFENDERS: Jesus Angulo (Atlas), Néstor Araujo (Celta), Julio César Domínguez (Cruz Azul), Jesús Gallardo (Monterrey), Héctor Moreno (Monterrey), Luis Rodríguez (Pumas), Osvaldo Rodríguez (León), Jorge Sánchez (América), Gilberto Sepúlveda (Chivas), Johan Vásquez (Genoa)
MIDFIELDERS: Edson Álvarez (Ajax), Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul), Jesús Ricardo Angulo (Chivas), Sebastián Córdova (América), Andrés Guardado (Real Betis), Héctor Herrera (Atlético Madrid), Orbelín Pineda (Cruz Azul), Carlos Rodríguez (Monterrey), Luis Romo (Cruz Azul)
FORWARDS: Jesús Corona (Porto), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey), Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton), Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Henry Martín (América)
Imago Images (2)
JAMAICA
The team the U.S. faced in Austin to open the October window and the team it'll face to close the November one are markedly different. For starters, West Ham's Michail Antonio and Aston Villa's Leon Bailey are back with the Reggae Boyz, presenting two top-class attacking threats that are among the best in Concacaf, period. Antonio's six goals have helped West Ham into third place in the Premier League, while Bailey is back from injury and is a top-class threat out wide. Given that Jamaica mustered just a single shot on target in that Oct. 7 matchup at Q2 Stadium, their returns—along with that of the Philadelphia Union's Cory Burke—should make for a more formidable opponent. QPR's Andre Gray is injured, though, and won't be available after initially being called in.
The venue for the match will also make for a change. Independence Park in Kingston, otherwise known as "The Office," will host up to 5,000 vaccinated fans after a reversal of an initial decision to have the match played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 . That still won't result in the full extent of the atmosphere that would otherwise be the backdrop for the match, but it does give Jamaica its first game with home support during the Octagonal. That's not meaningless, nor should the emotional component of playing for the people be discounted.
Jamaica's level of urgency and desperation will depend on how its match at El Salvador on Friday to open the window goes, but as it stands, a win in Honduras to cap the October triple-header gave Jamaica three points it sorely needed. The Jamaicans are seeking a first World Cup berth since 1998, and its match vs. the U.S. comes 24 years to the day it qualified for that competition.
Full Jamaica Squad:
GOALKEEPERS: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union), Dwayne Miller (Syrianska), Jeadine White (Cavalier)
DEFENDERS: Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps), Oniel Fisher (LA Galaxy), Damion Lowe (Al-Ittihad), Kemar Lawrence (Toronto FC), Gregory Leigh (Morecambe), Adrian Mariappa (unattached), Liam Moore (Reading), Alvas Powell (Philadelphia Union)
MIDFIELDERS: Bobby Decordova-Reid (Fulham), Anthony Grant (Swindon Town), Ravel Morrison (Derby County), Lemar Walker (Miami FC), Je-Vaughn Watson (Humble Lions), Devon Williams (Miami FC)
FORWARDS: Michail Antonio (West Ham), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa), Cory Burke (Philadelphia Union), Javon East (Santos de Guápiles), Junior Flemmings (Birmingham Legion), Shamar Nicholson (Charleroi), Kemar Roofe (Rangers)
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