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History belongs to those who win, and the U.S. men's national team crafted a glowing narrative of its victory over Mexico on Saturday night. Yet, the story could have unfolded very differently.
Rafael Márquez's side was clearly the superior team through the opening 25 minutes, linking up with some sharp passages of play against a U.S. midfield that could barely function as a unit. Unfortunately for El Tri, they failed to convert that dominance into goals and fell apart following Julian Hall's 28th-minute opener against the run of play.
That was the USMNT's first shot on target of the evening, and Mexico proceeded to hand Mauricio Pochettino's side plenty of chances to extend the lead. Mateo Chávez's reckless red card for slapping Sebastian Berhalter encapsulated the meltdown, but as Pochettino would say, you have to take the gift even when it's being thrust upon you.
What could have been a night that deflated the growing optimism surrounding the USMNT's new era instead became a 3–0 rout to relish. That's at least how the history books will record it.
Infectious Fast Starts
Pochettino signed his expanded new contract as the figurehead of U.S. Soccer for the next four years with promises of sweeping transformation. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie can confirm the Argentine coach was true to his word, though certain core principles have remained in place.
Intensity is the hallmark that Pochettino has cultivated throughout his managerial career. Whether it's his team's pressing style or the fire in his eyes when he speaks about the crate of lemons on his desk, there is nothing understated about the USMNT boss. Pochettino can therefore take immense pride in the consistent record of making explosive starts to matches.
Hall's opener meant the USMNT has now found the net in the first half of 10 straight matches, a milestone never previously reached in the program's history. This streak dates back to the 3–2 friendly win over Senegal in May and covers all five World Cup qualifying fixtures. Against Mexico, the U.S. continued to add to their tally after the interval.
Ending the Wait for Elite Validation
One of the most persistent criticisms leveled at Pochettino during his time in charge has been his record against top-tier opposition. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager had never previously overseen a win against Mexico or any nation ranked inside FIFA's top 10. Both those barriers were broken in one decisive moment on Saturday.
Remarkably, this win marked the USMNT's first victory over any opponent considered among the world's elite since a friendly triumph over reigning world champions Germany back in June 2015. It had been 11 years of banging against that glass ceiling, which finally gave way in Arizona this weekend.
Readdressing Balance of Mexico Rivalry
The USMNT actually claimed victory in the very first meeting between these two North American nations back in 1934, but it would take another 46 years and 24 games before the Stars and Stripes could secure a second win in this fixture.
The pendulum of this rivalry has been gradually swinging since the turn of the century, and this decade is shaping up to be the USMNT's most dominant yet. Mexico has only managed two wins in eight meetings since 2020, suffering as many as six defeats. Only once before has the USMNT enjoyed a run of form as strong as its current stretch.
The fact that this latest result came at the expense of Márquez — a figure regarded by many U.S. fans as the primary antagonist of this rivalry in the modern era — made the victory all the more satisfying.
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
CAVAN SULLIVAN SCORES IN HIS FIRST USA-MEXICO GAME 😤
He's now the USMNT's youngest ever goalscorer. pic.twitter.com/uV4i6g26hO
Even before a ball was kicked, Cavan Sullivan had already etched his name in the record books as the youngest American ever to start against Mexico. He ensured the occasion was further commemorated with another milestone, chipping a helpless Raúl Rangel from 35 yards to become the USMNT's youngest ever goalscorer.
"These are the moments you dream of when you're 3, 4, 5 or 6 years old," the 17-year-old said breathlessly after the match. "I manifested this moment, not just in the 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 the goal, closing his eyes and picturing himself wheeling away in celebration. When the real moment finally arrived, he could barely recall it.
"I just remember chipping the ball and hoping it didn't hit the crossbar or fly over," the teenager grinned. "I was getting nervous watching it in the air and then everything went blank."
Julian Hall Joins Scoring Club of Three
updated the cover photo pic.twitter.com/lt60vDG4UI
Before Sullivan's heroics, Hall had already carved out his own slice of history. The 18-year-old — another product of Pochettino's international youth movement — scored his third goal in his third appearance for the national team, becoming just the third player in USMNT history to achieve such a blistering start to his international career, joining 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."