By Paul Nicholson
June 7 – It has been a long time coming but it was a final worth waiting for. The United States overcame Mexico 3-2 in extra time in the final of Concacaf’s inaugural Nations League, a competition that began in 2019, but finished with all the theatrics and drama that will concrete this sport into the North American psyche.
The last time these two teams met in a major final was in the Gold Cup in 2019 where Mexico ran out 1-0 winners. They could be meeting again in August when Gold Cup 2021 reaches its conclusion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Nations League officially kicked off a summer of international football for Concacaf that has also been overseeing its preliminary World Cup qualifiers, ahead of the final eight team (league format) qualifiers that being in Autumn. It was also a spectacular opener for Concacaf’s own 60thyear anniversary celebrations.
The US vs Mexico football rivalry has never been anything but fierce and with Mexico taking the lead with just 70 seconds on the clock – via a goal from Jesus Corona – it looked like the young and predominantly European-based US team were in for an uncomfortable evening.
What transpired was a match that reverberated from end-to-end before Chelsea star Christian Pulisic stepped up to convert a 114thminute penalty to make the score 3-2.
But even that wasn’t the end of the drama. Ethan Horvath, a Denver native who replaced Zack Steffen in the US goal in the second half, saved Andres Guardado’s penalty four minutes into stoppage time of extra time to extinguish the Mexican challenge.
US coach Greg Berhalter had put his faith in youth for the final, saying: “I’m looking forward to seeing how we are able to handle the magnitude of the final.”
Not too well at the start and the US would have been 2-0 down on 24 minutes when Hector Moreno was left unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box and headed in, only to be ruled fractionally off-side.
This triggered the US into more decisive action and in the 27th minute, Weston McKennie headed Pulisic’s corner kick off the left post. The rebound came to Gio Reyna (son of a former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna) who stuck it past Mexican keeper and penalty saving hero of the semi-final, Guillermo Ochoa, for his third goal in seven senior appearances.
Mexico would have gone in goal-up after a frantic first half if Hirving Lozano had converted his one-on-one chance against Zack Steffen in the 43rd minute.
The second half continued the passionate helter skelter of the first half with Mexico taking the lead back in the 79th minute. Substitute Diego Lainez found space to beat Horvath with a low shot from 15-yards out.
Three minutes later the Americans were level with 18-year old Reyna involved again. His corner kick was met by the ever-present Weston McKennie to make it 2-2.
Pre-Nations League finals, Concacaf had launched its anti-discrimination campaign – ‘What’s Wrong Is Wrong – and specifically targeted an end to the homophobic ‘puta’ chant that for years has been a staple of Mexican crowd chants at opposition goalkeepers taking goal kicks. Match protocol saw the game halted. A further incident could have meant the match being abandoned and finished the following day without a crowd.
The stage is now set for the Gold Cup that kicks off its preliminary rounds on July 3 with its Group stages starting July 10. Both teams will be focussed on getting a rematch on 1 August in Las Vegas. The US last won the Gold Cup in 2007.
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