The United States Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 2-0 before a sold-out crowd of 64,369 fans in a friendly in San Antonio, Wednesday evening. As we bask in the red, white, and blue-sparkled glory, let’s look at the top storylines from the “Battle of the Alamodome.”
1. The Once And Future Stars Shine
Stanford sophomore Jordan Morris made his first start for the Yanks against the nation’s top football rival before a not surprisingly pro-Mexican crowd in San Antonio. Making only his 3rd cap for the U.S. squad, Morris ran all over the pitch and scored his first international goal to break the scoreless deadlock in the second half. His debut had some expected uneven moments throughout the 65th minutes he was on the pitch, but in a match where Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Aron Johannsson did not feature, manager Jurgen Klinsmann must be thrilled with the 20 year old’s performance leading the line.
In the 65th minute, Morris was substituted for Juan Agudelo and as Agudelo watched Morris come off the pitch following his goal, it must have reminded him of a time when he was the “next big thing” in American soccer. Agudelo famously scored on his international debut when he was 17, but this match marked his first appearance for the national team in a year, and he made the most of the opportunity, slamming home the second goal in the 72nd minute. It marked Agudelo’s first goal for the national team in 3 years.
2. Dos A Cero…Otra Vez
Ah that famous, beautiful score line. The Yanks once again defeated their rivals by 2-0, the score that has been the margin of victory in so many World Cup qualifiers against Mexico over the last decade. Klinsmann is now unbeaten in six matches (three wins, three draws) against Mexico since taking over as U.S. manager. Because this was not a FIFA international date, both squads did not have their full complement of players available, so El Tri has an easy excuse at the ready. That said, Mexico’s inability to defeat the U.S. under Klinsmann will continue to be a story until it happens. Although the match was in the United States, it was before a decidedly pro-Mexico crowd in San Antonio. With the Gold Cup looming this summer and that all-important berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup on the line, the more positive momentum the U.S. squad can gather against its biggest threat, the better.
3. The Pitch
Wow. It was not exactly the best pitch at the Alamodome, where the field consisted of temporary grass installed over concrete. It was ripped apart with ease, making it both visually unappealing and difficult to play on; the ball bumped around on longer passes on the ground. Not a great moment for U.S. Soccer. It’s just too bad that this country lacks stadiums with natural grass so they were forced to hastily throw grass down over concrete….
4. The U.S. Holds On…Finally
After giving up 15 goals in the last 15 minutes of play over the last 15 matches (got that?), the U.S. not only held on to the lead after Morris’s goal, but were able to extend it thanks to Agudelo. Perhaps more importantly, the U.S. did not concede a goal that would have made the last few minutes more interesting. This has been a major problem for the U.S. dating back to last year’s World Cup (lest we forget, the U.S. conceded late goals to both Ghana and Portugal during its run). Lately, it could be explained away due to the unusual substitution patterns of friendlies, but it happened enough to be concerning for Klinsmann and all U.S. fans. This doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is fixed, but the symbolism of the squad keeping the Mexicans out of the net cannot be underestimated for the belief of the players going forward.
5. What’s next?
For the U.S., a series of friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany in June in advance of the Gold Cup in July. Klinsmann desperately wants to secure a berth in the Confederations Cup in advance of the 2018 World Cup, so he will be focused on winning this year’s Gold Cup (if the U.S. doesn’t win, it will play the winner in a one-match playoff for the Confederations Cup spot). Although CONCACAF has improved over the years, Mexico remains the U.S.’s biggest threat in the competition. By steeling itself against two of the best teams in the world, Klinsmann hopes the players will be able to utilize that experience against the lesser squads it will play in the Gold Cup.
Follow Mike Smith on Twitter @thefootiegent
U-S-A, U-S-A
