Usually, the games between Mexico and the United States are filled with controversy and moments that go down in history. Hence, Friday's highly-anticipated match between the two most powerful teams in CONCACAF will surely give fans quite a bit to talk about during the clash and after it.
The USMNT get to this game after claiming a controversial 2-1 win over Costa Rica in their last Qualifying game. The Yanks had to overcome an early goal by Los Ticos with a strike by Sergiño Dest and an own goal by goalkeeper Leonel Moreira, who had to fill Keylor Navas' spot after 45 minutes. Gregg Berhalter's men prevailed despite a controversial penalty that was not awarded to Costa Rica, which helped them keep the second place of the CONCACAF WCQ all to themselves.
The Stars and Stripes will face this clash with their best possible players, as Christian Pulisic will return to the team after missing the team's recent matches due to injury. While Pulisic may not start the game, the team's attack will be led by Mexican-American footballer Ricardo Pepi, who has scored three goals in four games for Berhalter's men.
On the other side of the pitch, Mexico will want to maintain their run as the best team in the Qualifiers, especially when it comes to away games. El Tri have won two of their three away games so far, including a two-nil win against El Salvador last time out. The form shown by Martino's men away from home has only seen them conceding one goal in the competition, which has cemented their spot as the best team in the region and the one with the highest chance of making it to the World Cup.
For this game, Martino will have to work wonders at the back to put up a suitable defense. Regular starters Nestor Araujo and César Montes will not be around, while seasoned defender Héctor Moreno has been struggling with injuries. Hence, Martino may choose to give Genoa center-back Johan Vasquez the chance to start right next to Julio César Domínguez. Other options would include pushing Edson Álvarez to a center-back role, but that would be a risky move by the Argentine in such a key game. The rest of the team, including strikers Hirving Lozano and Raúl Jiménez will be available for this game.
The rivalry between the USMNT and Mexico is well documented, but this year the games between these teams have been quite intense. Mexico dominates the all-time stats against the Yanks with 36 wins in 72 matches against their geographical neighbors. Nevertheless, the Stars and Stripes have won their last two meetings against El Tri. The first one came in the CONCACAF Nations League final, which ended in a 3-2 win for the Americans with a late penalty by Christian Pulisic. The other one also concluded in a victory for Berhalter's men in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, which ended in a one-nil win for the Yanks. With that in mind, Mexico have not been able to beat the USMNT in a competitive match since the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in 2019, which ended with a one-nil score for El Tri.
Broadcast info: United States vs Mexico
In the U.S.: TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, ESPN2, Univision, TUDN USA, ESPN+.
In Mexico: TUDN, Canal 5 Televisa, TUDN En Vivo, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Azteca 7, Blim TV.
In Argentina: Star+.
In Brazil: Fox Sports App, FOX Sports 1 Brasil, NOW NET e Claro, Star+, Fox Sports Web.
In Sweden: Viaplay Sweden.
In Turkey: S Sport+.
In Croatia: Sportklub 1 Croatia.
In Australia: WatchESPN Australia, ESPN2, Kayo Sports.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
