Just three days after beating Panama, the Americans took a 2–0 loss to Mexico.
Mauricio Pochettino did not have much of a honeymoon period as the new coach of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT).
Just three days after beating Panama, the Americans took a 2–0 loss to Mexico. It was the Mexicans’ first win against the U.S. since
September 2019, snapping a seven-game winless streak.
“Overall Mexico was a little bit better than us and fully deserved the victory,” Pochettino said at his postgame news conference in Mexico. “For us, it is a process. ... It was a great opportunity for our players to visit a very difficult place to play. We can only improve and learn from this experience.”
While Pochettino was left to ponder the reasons for the defeat, the game was a glowing start for Javier Aguirre, who was hired as the Mexican head coach in July—his third time leading the National Team.
The U.S. was undermanned for the match
because five players
left the team due to club commitments or injuries. Christian Pulisic went back to his club AC Milan to get ready for league play in Serie A and the Champions League. The other players who left the team were defender Marlon Fossey, midfielder Weston McKennie, goalkeeper Zack Steffen, and forward Ricardo Pepi, who scored a goal in the U.S. 2–0 victory over Panama on Saturday.
The other key American players who were not available because of various injuries included Sergiño Dest, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, and Gio Reyna.
As a result, the Mexicans took advantage of the Americans’ inexperienced lineup and received goals from Raúl Jiménez (22nd minute) and César Huerta (49th minute) in front of a raucous crowd in Guadalajara.
Even though the U.S. was missing vital players, there were questions about the depth of the National Team.
Malik Tillman earned his fifth career start, replacing Pulisic, and could not create enough quality chances. Striker
Josh Sargent is having a successful season with Norwich City in the Championship, the second tier of English soccer, but he had trouble beating the Mexican defenders and could not generate any effective shots on goal.
Brenden Aaronson, who plays club ball for Leeds United, could not effectively hold the ball against Mexico as an attacking midfielder.
There were some positives that Pochettino can build on.
Brandon Vazquez, a Liga MX player for Monterrey, entered as a substitute in the 63rd minute and provided an immediate spark by creating the best chances, including a pass to Aaronson that forced a save by Mexican goalkeeper Luis Malagón in the 79th minute.
A fellow Liga MX player for América,
Alex Zendejas entered at halftime and was a boost to the midfield. He was aggressive in attacking his Mexican opponents and put himself in a position for more playing time moving forward.
While the ultimate goal is preparing for the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino must first prepare for a CONCACAF Nations League
quarterfinal against Jamaica on Nov. 14. It will give him another opportunity to assess the player pool for the U.S. and start preparing a competitive roster for the World Cup.
Pochettino chalked up the loss to Mexico as another valuable learning experience.
“We need to play more games like this in order to compete,” Pochettino said at the news conference following the setback.
