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Five Pieces of USMNT History Rewritten in Record-Breaking Mexico Victory

Mauricio Pochettino had plenty of reason to revel in a 3–0 win which will live long in the memory.
Grey Whitebloom|
The USMNT was on fine form against Mexico.
The USMNT was on fine form against Mexico. | Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images

History is written by the victors and the U.S. men’s national team put together a very flattering story of its triumph over Mexico on Saturday night. Yet, it could have been a completely different tale.

Rafael Márquez’s visitors were much the better team across the opening 25 minutes, stringing together some slick sequences of play against a U.S. midfield which could scarcely pick each other out of a lineup. Unfortunately for El Tri, it could not capitalize upon this dominance and crumbled after Julian Hall’s 28th-minute opener against the run of play.

That was the USMNT’s first shot on target of the match and Mexico set about handing Mauricio Pochettino’s side an ample number of opportunities to bolster its tally. Mateo Chávez’s brainless red card for a slap on Sebastian Berhalter summed up the implosion but, as Pochettino would argue, you have to accept the gift even if it is being forcefully offered to you.

What could have been a night which saw the burgeoning optimism of the USMNT’s new era punctured instead turned into a 3–0 thumping to savor. That’s at least how history will remember it.

Infectious Fast Starts

Mauricio Pochettino pointing.
Mauricio Pochettino has enjoyed some strong post-World Cup form. | Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images

Pochettino accepted his expanded new contract as the face of U.S. Soccer for the next four years preaching about sweeping changes. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie can attest that the Argentine coach was not bluffing, but some recurring themes have been retained.

Intensity is the identity that Pochettino has fostered throughout his coaching career. Whether that’s his side’s press or the look in his eye when he talks about the crate of lemons on his desk, there is little subdued about the USMNT manager. And so, Pochettino can take great satisfaction from the sustained record of spearing through the start of matches.

Hall’s opener ensured that the USMNT has now scored in the first half of 10 consecutive matches, a feat never before achieved in the program’s history. This run stretches back to the 3–2 friendly victory of Senegal in May and encompasses all five World Cup fixtures. Against Mexico, the U.S. managed to carry on scoring after the break.

Ending the Wait for Elite Validation

Mexico’s Erik Lira pointing.
Mexico is ranked 10th in the world by FIFA. | Chris Coduto/Getty Images

One of the sticks that has so often been used to beat Pochettino during his tenure in the States is his record against elite opposition. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain coach had never previously overseen a win against Mexico or any nation ranked within FIFA’s top 10. Both those feats were toppled in one fell swoop on Saturday.

Remarkably, this triumph represented the USMNT’s first victory against any opposition considered to be among the world’s best since a friendly win over reigning world champion Germany in June 2015. It’s been 11 years crashing against that glass ceiling which finally shattered in Arizona this weekend.

Readdressing Balance of Mexico Rivalry

Tensions flaring.
As ever, tensions flared in a USMNT match. | Chris Coduto/Getty Images

The USMNT actually won the first ever clash between these two North American outfits back in 1934, but it would be another 46 years and 24 games before the Stars and Stripes could secure a second victory in this fixture.

The balance of this rivalry has been gradually addressed since the turn of the century, while this decade promises to be the USMNT’s most successful yet. Mexico has only beaten its neighbor twice in eight encounters since 2020, losing as many as six times. Only once before has the USMNT ever enjoyed a run of results as impressive as its current sequence.

Given that this latest result was achieved at the expense of Márquez, a player upheld by many U.S. fans as the chief villain of this rivalry in the modern era, the victory was even sweeter.

USMNT’s Record Against Mexico by Decade

Decade

USMNT Record vs. Mexico

Points per Game

2020s

6-2-2

2.00

2010s

4-4-5

1.23

2000s

10-2-4

2.00

1990s

3-6-5

1.07

1980s

1-0-2

1.00

1970s

0-1-8

0.11

1960s

0-2-2

0.50

1950s

0-0-4

0.00

1940s

0-0-3

0.00

1930s

1-0-3

0.75

Cavan Sullivan’s Embryonic Heroics

Before a ball had even been kicked, Cavan Sullivan had already made history as the youngest American to ever start against Mexico. He made sure to mark the occasion with another landmark, lobbing the helpless and hapless Raúl Rangel from 35 yards to become the USMNT’s youngest ever scorer.

“These are the moments you dream of when you’re a 3, 4, 5 or 6-year-old,” the 17-year-old breathlessly revealed postmatch. “I manifested this moment, not just these past couple of hours when I found out I was starting, but my whole life.”

Sullivan spent the afternoon in the buildup to his big moment visualizing his goal, closing his eyes and seeing himself wheel away to celebrate. When the actual moment came around in reality, he couldn’t even remember it.

“I just remember chipping the ball, hoping it didn’t hit the crossbar or go over,” teenager grinned. “I was getting nervous when it was in the air and then everything was a blur.”

Julian Hall Joins Scoring Club of Three

Before Sullivan’s heroics, Hall carved out his own piece of history. The 18-year-old—another member of Pochettino’s international crèche—scored his third goal on his third appearance for his country, becoming just the third player in the history of the USMNT to achieve such a blistering start to his career after Eddie Johnson and Alexander Rae.

“The young guys, they’re hungry,” Chris Richards said of Sullivan and Hall. “They have a bit of swag to them. And that’s something that I think I’ve been very impressed with.

“They’re playing against obviously senior opponents, senior national team guys. And they went out there and put their head down and just got to work and again, reaping the benefits of it. So it’s been fun. It’s been fun watching them.”

Eddie Johnson

  • Period: Oct. 8, 2004—Feb. 8, 2005
  • El Salvador 0–2 USMNT: One goal
  • USMNT 6–0 Panama: Three goals
  • USMNT 1–1 Jamaica: One goal
  • Trinidad and Tobago 1–2 USMNT: One goal

Alexander Rae

  • Period: Sept. 12–26, 1937
  • Mexico 7–2 USMNT: One goal
  • Mexico 7–3 USMNT: One goal
  • Mexico 5–1 USMNT: One goal
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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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