October 17 – For the first time in five years, Mexico have beaten their northern neighbours, USA, and to make it all the sweeter, by the scoreline of ‘Dos a Cero’, 2-0.
Raúl Jiménez, who has been in great form for Fulham in the English Premier League, and César Huerta stopped El Tri’s seven-match winless streak by scoring in the 22nd and 49th minutes respectively.
For new USMNT coach, Mauricio Pochettino (pictured right), it was a sobering reminder of the work he has ahead of him. Last week he had marked his debut with an encouraging win over Panama, however, the Concacaf El Classico is a different beast.
Pochettino, will point to the loss of talisman, Christian Pulisic, but in all fairness, the US were anemic in front of the goal all evening and failed to have a single shot on target in the first-half. Despite this being a friendly match, there is no such thing in this rivalry.
Mexico came into this game with a new, yet recycled coach of their own in the form of Javier Aguirre (pictured left). In his third spell as the top man, he has revitalised the team winning both his matches. He will have to move on from El Tri legend, Andrés Guardado though as the match marked his final appearance in international football after earning an incredible 181 caps. He rightly received a magnificent response from his hometown faithful when substituted in the 18th minute in homage to the jersey number he has worn so proudly.
While the result was a real tonic for Mexico, controversy is never far away when these two teams play. Fans at the Estadio Akron, located near Guadalajara, Jalisco, repeatedly yelled the homophobic chant of ‘Puto’ that has led to fines from both FIFA and Concacaf, however, Costa Rican referee Keylor Herrera did not stop the game.
This was the first time in 14 years the national team has played in Guadalajara, as the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City usually hosts the team. With the Azteca undergoing refurbishment ahead of hosting duties for the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Federation has decided to roadshow El Tri around the country.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1732333609labto1732333609ofdlr1732333609owedi1732333609sni@o1732333609fni1732333609