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Mexico vs. USA score, result: USMNT soundly beaten in road friendly as absence of stars means lack of cutting edge

Mexico vs. USA score, result: USMNT soundly beaten in road friendly as absence of stars means lack of cutting edge

Without its best players, the USMNT was reminded how much work Mauricio Pochettino has to do as they were soundly beaten 2-0 by Mexico in a friendly south of the border.

Playing on Mexican soil for the first time in two years, and doing so without the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and many other stars, the U.S. was overwhelmed from start to finish. Displaying a clear lack of desire or venom, the U.S. was doused with a stark reminder of how much work Mauricio Pochettino faces to get the squad ready to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The United States failed to register a single shot or even quality attacking move in the opening half, and very little changed in that regard after the break. Alejandro Zendejas and Brandon Vazquez came off the bench to provide some life to the otherwise invisible U.S. attack, but it was far too little too late to make a difference.

Raul Jimenez was the star of the show, scoring the first goal and assisting the second to Cesar Huerta in a performance fitting of his recent revival for both club and country. The match also served as an enjoyable sendoff for legend Andres Guardado, who was handed a start and was withdrawn in the 18th minute (his jersey number). Jimenez celebrated his opening goal by running straight to Guardado on the bench, and the squad tossed Guardado into the air after the full-time whistle.

The match marked the first win for Mexico over their northern rivals in over five years. It also saw the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals set for November, as the federation’s ranking system is used to seed the top four seeds. The United States will be seeded third and take on Jamaica over two legs, while a win would have seen them instead draw Suriname.

The Sporting New followed the Mexico vs. USA match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.

Mexico vs. USA final score

  Score Goal scorers
Mexico 2 Jimenez (22′),
Huerta (49′)
USA 0 โ€“

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. local (10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT)
Location: Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, Mexico)

Starting lineups:

Mexico (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Malagon (GK) โ€” 2. J. Sanchez, 3. Montes, 5. J. Vazquez, 27. Angulo โ€” 4. E. Alvarez, 18. Guardado (Romo, 19′ โ€” O. Vargas, 84′) โ€” 25. Alvarado (Berterame, 68′), 17. Pineda (Lainez, 68′), 21. Huerta (Vega, 68′) โ€” 9. Jimenez (G. Martinez, 84′).

USA (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Turner (GK) โ€” 22. Scally, 12. M. Robinson, 13. Ream, 5. A. Robinson (Lund, 46′) โ€” 6. Musah (Zendejas, 46′), 14. Busio (Tessman, 64′), 17. M. Tillman (Wright, 64′), 7. Morris (Trusty, 84′) โ€” 11. Aaronson, 24. Sargent (Vazquez, 64′).

MORE: USMNT all-time record vs. Mexico | USMNT struggles in Mexico | USA vs. Mexico preview & predictions

Mexico vs. USA live updates, highlights from international friendly

FULLTIME: Mexico 2-0 USA

A truly pitiful performance by the United States, who were beaten soundly in Mexico on a pair of goals. A 90 minutes lacking any kind of creativity, grit, or desire for the USMNT, proving that depth is still a significant issue for this national team pool.

It’s a minimally damaging result in the grand scheme of things, but makes it clear how much Mauricio Pochettino has his work cut out for him in a number of places. A long way to go before the U.S. can afford to play without its best players.

83rd min: Raul Jimenez, who was the best player on the pitch tonight, is withdrawn so that Guillermo Martinez can enter up front. 19-year-old Alaska-born Obed Vargas will also make his Mexico debut, replacing Luis Romo who had entered early for Guardado.

The U.S. also sees Auston Trusty enter in place of Aidan Morris.

79th min: Chance, USA! Brandon Vazquez forces the first save from Luis Malagon! He gets room for a shot amidst a heavy challenge from a defender, but the Mexico goalkeeper has the tight-angle effort covered well.

74th min: And now it’s all kicked off on the far touchline! Alejandro Zendejas is involved in a huge scuffle with Edson Alvarez and Jesus Angulo after a coming-together on the field. While the referee tried at first to break up the fracas, he steps back and lets it play out. Ultimately, just a yellow card is shown to both individuals, which is kind as both could have seen worse.

In all honesty, after a match with little bite, it’s nice to see Zendejas bring a bit of venom to the U.S. squad. Nobody to this point had looked terribly interested.

Upon further review of the replay, it’s laughable that Alvarez wasn’t sent off. After Zendejas and Angulo go head-to-head following their clash, Alvarez comes flying in and tosses the U.S. player to the ground by his neck. If that’s not a red card, I’m not sure what is.

68th min: Javier Aguirre hands a first international cap to German Berterame who enters alongside Diego Lainez and Alexis Vega. The three withdrawn are Orbelin Pineda, Roberto Alvarado, and Cesar Huerta.

65th min: Chance, USA! The first opportunity for the USMNT in this match falls to none other than Kristoffer Lund, who makes a back-post run and is fed by a ball from deep. Yet the Palermo man can’t get the right contact on it, firing the ball towards goal with a one-touch redirect but sailing it wide.

62nd min: Orbelin Pineda wants a penalty after being dispossessed by Tim Ream on the edge of the six-yard box but the referee waves play on. He’s been extremely lenient tonight, but there was nothing in that challenge.

Thre more changes for Mauricio Pochettino see Brandon Vazquez, Haji Wright, and Tanner Tessman enter the match, replacing Josh Sargent, Gianluca Busio, and Malik Tillman.

57th min: The U.S. is still without a single notable attacking move. The broadcast confirms that Mark McKenzie was withdrawn from the starting lineup late due to a groin injury.

pic.twitter.com/PJT6ZH9ehO

โ€” B/R Football (@brfootball) October 16, 2024

2nd half kickoff: They’re back under way for the second half, and Mauricio Pochettino has made a pair of changes at the break.

Yunus Musah, who was stuck on the right flank for much of the opening 45 minutes, has been replaced by a more traditionally wide player in Alejandro Zendejas. Musah wasn’t terribly effective in the first half, but this may also be a move from Pochettino to protect a key player before he returns to club football in Europe.

That’s certainly the case for Antonee Robinson, who was also hauled off to be replaced by Kristoffer Lund.

HALFTIME: Mexico 1-0 USA

The United States will be thrilled that the opening 45 minutes has mercifully come to a close. They were completely overwhelmed in that half, out-shot by Mexico 12-0. While none of the Mexican efforts (from open play, at least) were of terribly great quality, it’s a fair representation that the hosts were in complete control of that game.

It’s not really the 12 shots for Mexico that speak as loudly as the zero for the United States, as there wasn’t even a single memorable attacking moment for the visitors to hang their hat on. Significant changes needed from Mauricio Pochettino at the break.

38th min: Chance, Mexico! Cesar Montes blazes a header just over the crossbar off a Mexico corner. It wouldn’t have counted in the end had it gone in, as the referee had blown for a foul, but it’s yet another half-chance for the hosts who have yet to relent in their drive.

37th min: Raul Jimenez comes up empty with a clunky bike attempt, as the ball simply bounces off his shin and back into play. It’s not a quality opportunity, but it is yet another reminder that the U.S. are bing well beaten at the moment. The hosts are in full control, not only in the lead and barreling forward repeatedly, but they also haven’t given the visitors a single look of their own.

34th min: Aidan Morris is booked for a tackle on Cesar Huerta. He may have earned the yellow card not for the foul itself but for a block of the quick restart which Mexico attempted.

31st min: The pitch is choppy, causing the ball to bobble a bunch. This makes it hard to judge the bounce and has resulted in a few awkward fouls for both sides.

27th min: Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre is yellow carded for giving the fourth official an absolute tongue lashing. Unclear what he’s upset about.

the first free-kick goal in this fixture since 1996.

19th min: Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre withdraws 38-year-old Andres Guardado to give their veteran legend one last send-off. Guardado, from Guadalajara, will finish his international career on 182nd international cap, the most in the nation’s history, and he exits for Luis Romo as the Estadio Akron crowd gives him a massive ovation and the hugs flow on the bench.

17th min: To this point, the most notable thing to happen at Estadio Akron so far is the crowd has audibly revived the homophobic chant that has marred so many Mexico international matches in recent years.

11th min: The hosts have been the more intentional side so far, creating a few interesting opportunities in the attacking third but failing to find an opening on goal. The referee is letting them play so far, waving away a thumping challenge from Andres Guardada on Brenden Aaronson in midfield.

7th min: It’s been a very muted open to this match, as both sides just kick it around looking for openings, finding none.

Kickoff: They’re under way at Estadio Akron! A fringe roster for Mauricio Pochettino looks to make a bit of history and prove they can withstand the heat in Mexico against a hungry El Tri side.

There was a last-minute change to the USMNT starting lineup just five minutes before kickoff, as Miles Robinson replaces Mark McKenzie in the XI. Have to imagine there was a prematch injury involved in that.

Mexico vs. USA: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

15 mins to kickoff: In the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, the USMNT won’t get many opportunities like this to face a rival in a hostile environment. Mauricio Pochettino is hoping his team can show a strong mentality to prove they are ready for games in this kind of setting.

30 mins to kickoff: Good to see Mexico manager Javier Aguirre healthy enough to take his spot on the touchline tonight. He was apparently sick enough to go see a doctor last night, but has recovered to serve his coaching duties in this match.

At first there were reports that Aguirre went to the hospital, but according to the man himself, he had dinner with a doctor last night and didn’t feel well after, so the doctor invited him to his clinic for a checkup in the morning.

45 mins to kickoff: The Mexico lineup is in, and in a major surprise, 38-year-old Andres Guardado returns to the El Tri lineup for the first time since the 2022 World Cup. That has to have Mauricio Pochettino licking his chops.

1 hour to kickoff: The USMNT lineup is in, and Mauricio Pochettino has made as few changes as humanly possible: just one, with the departed Christian Pulisic dropping out and Malik Tillman entering. It appears to be a 4-4-2 for the visitors, or maybe even a 4-5-1, with Josh Sargent as the only true forward in the XI. Will Yunus Musah play on the wing?

1 hour 15 mins to kick: Incredibly, this match at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara will be just the second time for the USMNT playing in Mexico at a venue not named Estadio Azteca, and first since their very first meeting ever in 1957 at the Olympic Stadium, also in Mexico City. It’s a picturesque venue!

1 hour 30 mins to kick: After wearing their blues at home against Panama, the USMNT will go with their white kits tonight on the road in Mexico.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: The USMNT has only won once against Mexico south of the border, which came in the last road friendly back in 2012. The hero that day was Michael “The Fiscal” Orozco who scored with 10 minutes remaining to snatch a scrappy 1-0 victory.

2 hours to kickoff: There isn’t much riding on this match from a competitive standpoint, but Mauricio Pochettino knows how precious each and every game in charge is, with little time to waste before the 2026 World Cup.

“That is our responsibility,” Pochettino said of achieving World Cup readiness and growing the sport in the United States. “It is a massive, massive responsibility. We need to build that confidence and trust that we can arrive in two years and be really competitive and feel proud about a sport that maybe wasn’t born here, but starts to belong here.”

Mexico vs. USA kickoff time

This international friendly kicks off from Estadio Akron on Tuesday, October 15 at 8:30 p.m. local time in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Here’s how that time translates across the time zones in North America:

  Date Kickoff time
Eastern Time Tue, Oct. 15 10:30 p.m.
Central Time Tue, Oct. 15 9:30 p.m.
Mountain Time Tue, Oct. 15 8:30 p.m.
Pacific Time Tue, Oct. 15 7:30 p.m.

Mexico vs. USA lineups, team news, starting 11

Mexico are weak up front, without striker Henry Martin and Santiago Jimenez who are both dealing with muscle injuries. That could lead Raul Jimenez to see the field, having somewhat of a revival this season at Fulham. Hirving Lozano is still frozen out of the squad, while Jesus Gallardo, Uriel Antuna, Luis Chavez, and Gerardo Arteaga were left off the roster.

Legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and midfielder Andres Guardado have been called back into the squad, but only the latter sees the field as the 38-year-old Guardado sees his first international appearance since the 2022 World Cup. Santiago Jimenez is the regular striker for El Tri, but boss Javier Aguirre could think about giving Raul Jimenez a go given his return to goal scoring form at Fulham this season.

Mexico starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Malagon (GK) โ€” J. Sanchez, Montes, J. Vazquez, Angulo โ€” Guardado, E. Alvarez โ€” Alvarado, Pineda, Huerta โ€” Jimenez.

Mexico subs (15): Ochoa (GK), Rangel (GK), Lira, Orozco, Huescas, B. Gonzalez, Romo, M. Ruiz, C. Rodriguez, Cordova, Vargas, Lainez, Vega, G. Martinez, Berterame.

There are a host of USMNT regulars absent for this October international break, making life difficult on Mauricio Pochettino in his first camp. Sergino Dest continues to recover from his ACL tear just before the summer, and Tyler Adams will return soon from his back injury but isn’t quite ready for international duty yet.

Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Johnny Cardoso, and Cameron Carter-Vickers are all missing due to injuries picked up prior to the international break, and Tim Weah withdrew from the squad as he’s not quite ready to return from his hamstring injury.

Add in that Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi and Marlon Fossey all returned to their European clubs for load management, while Zack Steffen left with a minor injury, and the squad is extremely thin heading to Mexico. Just minutes before kickoff, Miles Robinson replaced Mark McKenzie in the starting lineup.

USA starting lineup (4-3-3): Turner (GK) โ€” Scally, M. Robinson, Ream, A. Robinson โ€” Musah, Busio, M. Tillman, Morris โ€” Aaronson, Sargent.

USA subs (9): Schulte (GK), Horvath (GK), Trusty, McKenzie, Lund, Tessmann, Zendejas, Wright, Vazquez.

Mexico vs. USA live stream, TV channel

  • TV Channel (English): TNT
  • Streaming (English): Sling, MAX
  • TV Channel (Spanish): Univision, TUDN
  • Streaming (Spanish): Fubo, Univision NOW, TUDN app/website


As with all USMNT friendlies in the foreseeable future, this match will be televised in English on TNT, which can be streamed on Max and Sling. Check out our full guide and what sports Sling has to offer here.

The match is also televised in Spanish on Univision and TUDN, which are both available to stream on Fubo in the United States.

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