Mexico defeated the USMNT for the first time in half a decade in one with one of its best performances in years.
Javier Aguirre's team was dominant on the pitch at the Estadio Akron and completely neutralized Mauricio Pochettino's squad. A night many feared would only continue to expose the many issues that have haunted Mexico recently turned out to be the opposite. It was a very encouraging performance that allows El Tri fans to be optimistic about what the future of this process might look like.
Here are three takeaways from Mexico's 2–0 victory against the USMNT.
Raúl Jiménez Should be Mexico's Starting Striker Moving Forward
The Fulham striker was undoubtedly the star of the night. Jiménez announced himself by scoring a beautiful free kick in the first half. The goal was his 34th with El Tri, placing him among the top five goal-scorers in the national team's history.
Raúl Jiménez with a perfect free kick to give Mexico the 1-0 lead 🎯
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Jiménez assisted César Huerta's goal to double the lead in the second half. He didn't give up after losing a ball and went to the ground to set-up Huerta inside the box.
Overall his performance was very encouraging for El Tri. He was excellent with his back towards goal and looked very confident, as he dared to try overhead kicks and rabona crosses. It's obvious that he's enjoying his career renaissance and that's wonderful news for a team that has struggled to find a productive center forward in recent years.
Mexico Has Found a Midfield Partnership in Edson Álvarez and Luis Romo
In the four games since Javier Aguirre took over, his preferred tactical system has been a 4-2-3-1. Contrary to previous managers, Aguirre wants two midfielders at the base of the midfield instead of just one. Luis Romo and Edson Álvarez have both been two of Mexico's best players in 2024, but they rarely played together.
Álvarez is perfectly suited to be the midfield anchor, using his great positioning to be the first passing option in build up play as well as constantly recovering balls in the center of the pitch. Romo helps with his great vision and passing to link up with the forwards and wingers, but he's also great at covering ground and helping defensively.
Together they make a solid partnership in Mexico's midfield. The moment Romo entered in the 19th minute the game changed in favor of El Tri. Mexico dominated the rest of the way and the USMNT struggled mightily to have long, sustained possessions.
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Mexican Fans Return to Support El Tri
Fans chanted "ole" when Valencia were in possession during the first game of the international break and booed El Tri off the field. The discontent from Mexican fans was evident as they continued to voice their displeasure for the current state of the national team.
That changed in this game. Fans packed the Estadio Akron and were ready to back their national team against its biggest rival. They stood up to bid farewell to Mexico legend Andrés Guardado and it was pure jubilation in the stands after both goals.
The players played up to the standards the crowd demanded and were intense and determined all night. It was one of Mexico's best performances in years—albeit in a friendly game against a team without some of its best players.
Nevertheless, a result and performance like this is exactly what El Tri needed to reignite its fanbase and kickstart Javier Aguirre's third stint at the helm.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jimenez Steals the Show: Takeaways From Mexico's Dominant 2–0 Win Against the USMNT.
