USMNT Extends Unbeaten Run Against Mexico in Competitive Friendly
In a highly competitive friendly to mark the 75th meeting between the United States men’s national team and Mexico, the USMNT extended their unbeaten run against Mexico to five matches with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday in Glendale, AZ. The match featured quickfire counterattacks by both teams, with Mexico scoring first through Uriel Antuna’s excellent counterattack. However, the USMNT held on and finally got their equalizer through Jesus Ferreira in the 82nd minute.
Interim manager Anthony Hudson’s decision to start Ferreira as a floating 10 proved interesting, and the forward played a crucial role in the USMNT’s goal. Hudson made several adjustments in the second half that paid off, with James Sands standing out for his impressive performance. Sands’ ability to drop between midfield and defense allowed the wingbacks to push forward and could earn him a spot on the Gold Cup roster this summer.
Diego Cocca’s fingerprints were visible on El Tri as their back three caused trouble for the USMNT attack. Despite some issues with countering, Cocca will be satisfied with the team’s performance, given the short camp in the middle of the domestic season. For Hudson, the adjustments in the second half worked, and he now has more match data to help him make roster decisions for upcoming matches.
