Mexico 2-0 USA (October 15, 2024) Match analysis

Raúl Jiménez scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Mexico to a 2-0 friendly victory over the United States on Tuesday night in Guadalajara, Mexico.

César Huerta also scored for Mexico, which had a seven-game winning streak (0-5-2) against the USA since 2019 and handed new US coach Mauricio Pochettino its first defeat in his second game as coach.

Mexico's all-time best player, Andrés Guardado, played his 182nd and final international match. The 38-year-old Guadalajara native was substituted in the 19th minute to an emotional ovation from fans in the city where his professional career with Atlas began.

With several U.S. regulars absent – including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah and Folarin Balogun – the U.S. outscored 17-5 overall and 5-1 in shots on goal. With Pulisic, the Americans beat Panama 2-0 on Saturday in Austin, Texas.

It was the third time the Americans failed to score this year, following a 1-0 friendly loss to Slovenia in January and a 1-0 loss in the final Copa America game to Uruguay on July 1.

Jiménez was once considered as crucial a player for Mexico as Pulisic was for the USA. However, his 35th international goal on Tuesday was the 33-year-old's first for his country in more than a year after falling out of favor under previous coach Jaime Lozano.

The opening goal came in the 22nd minute after the USA got off to a promising start despite failing to test goalkeeper Luis Malagón.

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As Antonee Robinson tried to block the ball from Mexico's Roberto Alvarado, American Aidan Morris was whistled for a foul a few meters outside the penalty area.

Jiménez took the ensuing free kick perfectly and directed it over the US defensive wall and into the top right corner, just beyond goalkeeper Matt Turner's dive.

This began a period of Mexican dominance that lasted through the remainder of the first half and into the second half.

Jiménez was involved again as El Tri scored the deserved second goal in the 49th minute.

US defender Tim Ream initially recovered well and took the ball from Jiménez after he ran onto an excellent diagonal ball. However, when Ream tried to dribble out of his own area, Jiménez gave chase and blocked the ball.

It fell into good position for Huerta, who avoided the challenge of another U.S. defender and fired a low shot between the diving Turner and the left post.

The USA recorded its all-time record in games vs. El Tri in Mexico they fall to 1-24-4.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.