For the latest instalment of our ‘Framed’ series, we headed Stateside to witness one of the region’s biggest rivalries as the USA hosted Mexico in a replay of this summer’s Gold Cup final. Seeking a measure of revenge after Mexico triumphed in that contest, the U.S. fielded a young team at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
This was the 70th meeting between USA and Mexico, and despite being hosted on U.S. soil, the travelling fans made the visiting team feel right at home, bringing with them all the cacophonous support that’s expected from the Mexicans. And their support was rewarded early on as Jesús Manuel Corona shimmied past two U.S. defenders with a beautiful nutmeg before picking out Javier Hernandez who was unmarked just outside the six yard box. Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer was never going to miss. The stadium was shaking.
It was an experimental U.S. side, with head coach Gregg Berhalter handing out several senior debuts. And El Tri were only too happy to capitalise on the inexperience, picking off mistakes at the back late on, with Erick Gutierrez and Uriel Antuna adding their names to the scoresheet. While on paper this was the worst United States defeat to Mexico for a decade, it reads worse than it was in reality, and it was a case of taking chances. The U.S. were not without theirs, they just need to find that clinical edge, and that was typified when Josh Sargent had his late penalty saved by Jonathan Orozco.
Photography by Derek Campbell for SoccerBible.
