The USMNT maintained its monopoly on CONCACAF Nations League trophies with another dos a cero versus its biggest rivals, getting goals from Tyler Adams and Giovanni Reyna in a 2-0 win over Mexico on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
[ MORE: Player ratings vs Mexico | USMNT schedule, results ]
The Yanks have won all three CONCACAF Nations League crowns in the short history of the tournament, winning a ridiculous 3-2 extra time affair over Mexico in 2021 and blanking Canada 2-0 in 2023.
Adams unleashed a rocket goal just before halftime, and Reyna leapt to volley home a rebound after the hour mark as the Yanks built a two-goal lead that was only tested by a penalty call overturned by VAR.
The conclusion of the game was delayed when Mexican fans repeatedly took up a banned gay slur chant.
Reyna takes center stage
For all of the controversy that’s surrounded Giovanni Reyna — some of it unforced errors — it’s refreshing to see the Nottingham Forest playmaker delivering world-class performances in the national team shirt.
It won’t be lost on anyone that this player was told before the World Cup that he wouldn’t factor in that competition and absolutely took a next tournament in his hands. Reyna set up two goals in the semifinal — the first a sensational through ball to Haji Wright — then scored the insurance goal in this one while playing a much deeper-lying role.
The star showings from Reyna and newly-healthy Tyler Adams were the feel-good stories of this tournament. And no one will feel like — health-pending — they are going to stop any time soon for the 21-year-old Reyna and his 25-year-old teammate.
Mexico nowhere near its traditional standard
Much like the Yanks after missing the World Cup and learning how to play without Tim Howard, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, this Mexico national team remains at a cross roads.
Memo Ochoa is 38 years old and made a couple of big saves but can only carry so much weight in this team, which has plenty of experience but no longer can look to Hector Herrera or Andreas Guardado (Hector Moreno and Raul Jimenez were absent, too).
Edson Alvarez (West Ham) is a fantastic player but who will be the other difference makers for this Mexican generation? There’s hope for Julian Araujo and Santiago Gimenez to grow into those players but so many names on this roster are fine instead of stars and have not followed their prospect trajectory.
What’s happened since the 2022 World Cup? El Tri was waxed 3-0 by the USMNT in the 2023 Nations League semifinal but bounced back and won the Gold Cup. But since November of 2023 Mexico has needed extra time to get past Honduras in the Nations League quarters and struggled in this match.
Friendlies with Bolivia, Uruguay and Brazil are next before a Copa America group with Jamaica, Venezuela and Ecuador. Surely nothing short of the knockout rounds will be expected. But will this El Tri side deliver that outcome?
What’s next?
The Yanks meet Colombia in a June 8 friendly before kicking off the Copa America six days later in a group with Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia.
How to watch USMNT vs Mexico live, stream link and start time
Kickoff: 9:15 pm ET, Sunday (March 24)
How to watch: Paramount+ and Univision
USMNT vs Mexico live updates — By Nick Mendola
USMNT vs Mexico final score: 2-0
Goal: Adams (45'), Reyna (63')
USMNT sub
Reyna’s day ends after two assists in the semifinal and the second goal in this one.
Yunus Musah enters for the final 12 minutes or so.
Mexico penalty overturned
Antonee Robinson goes to clear the ball and misses the ball and the man, but Santi Gimenez hits the deck as if he took a boot to the spleen.
VAR sends referee Drew Fisher to the screen very quickly, the penalty is overturned and Gimenez is shown yellow. Sad day for Mexico.
USMNT Sub
That’s it for Haji Wright, who took a beating in his 66 minutes.
Folarin Balogun will enter and you have to think this is a really good spot for him.
GOAL! Giovanni Reyna! USMNT 2-0 Mexico (63rd minute)
Oh, Gio.
Christian Pulisic rips around the right of Mexico’s defense and his cross is partially cleared by a header.
Reyna arrives from the left and goes airborne to volley near post. Memo Ochoa will have wanted to do better, but it’s a pretty goal.
GIO REYNA. DOS A CERO. 😤🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xgJLAA6T2o
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 25, 2024
Mexico misses chance
Henry Martin gets into the left side of the box as Sergino Dest loses his place.
Martin blasts a wayward shot wide from close range, not even testing Matt Turner. Oof.
1-0 USMNT, 62'
Halftime sub
It is indeed essentially a walk-off goal for Adams. He’s replaced by Johnny Cardoso at the break.
GOAL! Tyler Adams! USMNT 1-0 Mexico (45th minute, video)
Stunning. A rocket. Wow.
Just as we’re looking destined for a scoreless first half, Tyler Adams takes the ball at least 20 yards outside the box and pushes it forward.
Mexico allows him a look and boy does he let loose. A pure, venomous strike that sends Ochoa out for lunch.
1-0, USA!
TYLER ADAMS FROM THE PARKING LOT ARE YOU FOR REAL??? 💥🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZrK7PoxCST
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 25, 2024
Dest snaps game out of lull
Mishit diagonals — a few to Sergino Dest — and some sloppy passes allowed this once-electric match to hit a lull.
No more, as Dest takes matters into his own feet with a mazy run that ends with a left-footed shot over the goal.
Still scoreless after nearly 40 minutes.
Yellow card — Weston McKennie
Chucky Lozano shakes his hips and gets Weston McKennie flat-footed.
The American grabs Lozano to slow the rush and sees the first yellow card of the match with more than an hour to play.
Mexico chance
Luis Chavez doesn’t get full muster on a chance, allowing Matt Turner to get low to his right for a save. 0-0, 23'.
Yanks have the edge
This will be scrappy at times but Mexico so far just doesn’t have the electricity of the hosts.
Adding to this is a clear directive from Gregg Berhalter to play physical against El Tri, as the Yanks are not in yellow card territory but are making their proverbial presence felt. Still 0-0, 16'.
Great chance! Big save by Memo Ochoa
An early free kick is given away by Sergino Dest but the Yanks deal well with it.
At the other end, Giovanni Reyna nods the ball to Christian Pulisic, but living Mexico legend Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa makes a terrific close-range save to keep it scoreless after five minutes.
Recent matches
It’s been nearly five years since El Tri beat the USMNT, winning back-to-back matches with a 2019 Gold Cup Final win in Chicago before a friendly win in New Jersey.
Since then? The USMNT is 4W-2D and that includes two finals.
- 2023 Nations League semifinal — USMNT 3-0 Mexico
- 2023 friendly — USMNT 1-1 Mexico
- 2022 World Cup qualifier — Mexico 0-0 USMNT
- 2021 World Cup qualifier — USMNT 2-0 Mexico
- 2021 Gold Cup Final — USMNT 1-0 (aet) Mexico
- 2021 Nations League Final — USMNT 3-2 (aet) Mexico
Biggest questions for this game
- How long can Tyler Adams play? The Bournemouth man has played a half-hour or so in each of his appearances since coming back from a long injury. With Yunus Musah and Johnny Cardoso on the bench, this is about how long Adams can be peak Adams.
- How long before we see Folarin Balogun, and what sort of mood will he be in? The Monaco man loses his starting spot to Haji Wright after the brace versus Jamaica, and how he reacts will be interesting.
- Will the creativity of Giovanni Reyna and Christian Pulisic be too much for El Tri’s back line?
USMNT lineup
Turner, Dest, Richards, Ream, Robinson, Adams, McKennie, Reyna, Pulisic, Weah, Wright
Our XI to start the Nations League Final🇺🇸
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 24, 2024
Full Lineup Notes » https://t.co/m566DSACQw pic.twitter.com/dU3O6ZsnZQ
Mexico lineup
Ochoa, Gallardo, Vasquez, Montes, J. Sanchez, Alvarez, Chavez, E. Sanchez, Antuna, Lozano, Martin
Our starting XI for today’s final! 🔥
— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) March 25, 2024
Time to give it all on the pitch 💪#VamosTodos pic.twitter.com/puyr6huJUA
USMNT vs Mexico preview — By Andy Edwards
Three years after knocking off El Tri in the inaugural Nations League final — arguably the greatest game in the two nations’ bitter rivalry — the Yanks are back for a three-peat. But, only just barely are they back.
Gregg Berhalter’s side trailed Jamaica from minute 1 to minute 95 of Thursday’s semifinal, yet the USMNT came out on top, 3-1, thanks to a 96th-minute own goal and a pair of goals from Haji Wright in extra time. Perhaps now the Coventry City striker, on top of his fine form for club in recent weeks, has done enough to earn the starting nod after once again making significant contributions to the USMNT off the bench.
It has been a fantastic season debut season in England for Wright, since joining Coventry from Turkish side Antalyaspor in the summer. The 25-year-old Los Angeles native has 13 goals (6th-most in the Championship) to go with six assists in 35 appearances (23 starts), plus another two goals in the FA Cup, including the 99th-minute winner in last weekend’s quarterfinal to send the Sky Blues to the semifinal against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on April 21. And yet, he wasn’t in Berhalter’s squad ahead of this international window.
Then, an injury forced Josh Sargent to withdraw, opening up a spot for Wright, who was at the airport with his family, getting ready to board a plane and enjoy a few days’ vacation time, when Berhalter called.
“He was getting on a plane to go to Dubai. He had a family vacation planned for the international break,” said the coach. “So I called him and he was like, ‘Well, I’m at the airport and my whole family’s here, my agent’s already there and my girlfriend’s going, she planned the whole thing.’ Really, this really happened.
“I said, ‘I can imagine, Haji, I’m gonna give you 10 minutes – I didn’t give him a time limit, but let’s hang up and just think about it, process it, right? I know it’s a lot of information right now for you to handle. I know you got your parents, the bags are packed and you’re at the airport, but just think about it for 10 minutes and give me a call back.’ And he called me back and he said, ‘I’m in.’ And when I heard that, it really shows what type of guy he is, what type of character he is.”
USMNT team news, focus
Everyone appeared to come through the semifinal unscathed, as Sergiño Dest also returns from suspension and is expected start the final at right back. Tyler Adams continued his slow, but steady return to game action with 37 minutes against Jamaica and will likely be available for a similar load against Mexico.
Mexico team news, focus
El Tri made light work of Panama in the second semifinal, scoring twice just before halftime en route to a 3-0 victory and a stress-free night at AT&T Stadium — quite the opposite of what the Americans put themselves through. Mexico hasn’t beaten the USMNT in any of their last six tries (0W-2D-4L), not since a 3-0 friendly victory in September 2019.