{"id":114837,"date":"2024-10-16T15:36:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T08:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=114837"},"modified":"2024-10-16T15:36:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T08:36:44","slug":"usmnt-sends-a-b-team-to-mexico-and-loses-its-unbeaten-streak-vs-el-tri-in-pitiful-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=114837","title":{"rendered":"USMNT sends a B-team to Mexico, and loses its unbeaten streak vs. El Tri in pitiful fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 640px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox\" style=\"padding-bottom:67%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/pks559w9ruhKRp81ySXiyw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNjAw\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-10\/8286e340-8b74-11ef-9dfa-603648f84057\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img has-preview\" alt=\"ZAPOPAN, MEXICO - OCTOBER 15: C\u00e9sar Huerta #21 of Mexico strikes the ball as Miles Robinson #12 of the United States defends during the second half at Akron Stadium on October 15, 2024 in Zapopan, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez Figueroa\/USSF\/Getty Images for USSF)\" bad-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/p9N6TSk9QtdhAxTPlbda8Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-10\/8286e340-8b74-11ef-9dfa-603648f84057\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/p9N6TSk9QtdhAxTPlbda8Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2024-10\/8286e340-8b74-11ef-9dfa-603648f84057\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">C\u00e9sar Huerta scored in the second half of Tuesday&#8217;s friendly against the U.S. at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. Mexico won 2-0. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez Figueroa\/USSF\/Getty Images for USSF)<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie were likely sound asleep in Italy. Several other U.S. men&#8217;s national team starters were recovering from injuries. And in their absence Tuesday night, the USMNT lost to Mexico for the first time in over five years \u2014 in a match marked by debates over its significance.<\/p>\n<p>On one hand, <em>it was U.S.-Mexico<\/em>, the CONCACAF Clasico, a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/usmnt-mexico-anti-gay-chant-red-cards-brawls-ugly-084146211.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:combustible rivalry;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">combustible rivalry<\/a>, and therefore a game that both sides insisted they&#8217;d play to win.<\/p>\n<p>On the other, it was only a friendly, a pre-test without tangible consequence; and so, after <a data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/usmnt-wins-mauricio-pochettinos-debut-led-by-the-star-wholl-guide-his-reboot-030100055.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Saturday's win over Panama;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Saturday&#8217;s win over Panama<\/a>, new U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino <a data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-mexico-pulisic-pepi-mckennie-063f0dc6f6118a56e6261b67358d7bc8\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:allowed Pulisic, McKennie and three others;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">allowed Pulisic, McKennie and three others<\/a> to return to their clubs.<\/p>\n<p>The result, on Tuesday in Zapopan, Mexico, was a 2-0 loss to <em>El Tri<\/em> \u2014 and a performance that, frankly, never seemed capable of delivering a victory.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It seemed like the USA didn&#8217;t want to play. It seemed like nobody wanted the ball,&#8221; former USMNT star DaMarcus Beasley said on TNT at halftime. &#8220;Nobody&#8217;s up for this moment, playing against Mexico in Mexico.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And midway through the first half, Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez punished their sloppiness. Passive possession led to an aimless American long ball, then a foul 25 yards from goal. Jim\u00e9nez curled the ensuing free kick over a U.S. wall, and past goalkeeper Matt Turner, to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the goal, the game had been choppy and relatively even. Afterward, the hosts took and maintained control. The Americans couldn&#8217;t muster anything going forward \u2014 not even a single shot in the first half. (They ultimately put one on target, in the 79th minute.)<\/p>\n<p>And shortly after halftime, Mexico doubled its lead with a direct attack. Jim\u00e9nez, a 33-year-old reborn star, won a back-and-forth battle with 37-year-old defender Tim Ream, and C\u00e9sar Huerta beat Turner to make it 2-0.<\/p>\n<p>For most of the remaining 40 minutes, one-way traffic kept coming. And American frustration simmered, because previous iterations of the USMNT <em>had<\/em> gotten up for this moment. The 2012 team won at Estadio Azteca. Over the next three World Cup cycles, U.S. teams went to Mexico City and got a point each. They hadn&#8217;t lost in Mexico since 2009.<\/p>\n<p>And in recent years, they&#8217;d taken control of the rivalry. The USMNT had won five of its last seven against Mexico, and drawn the other two. It won three straight Nations League titles. The U.S. had, for the first time ever, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/usmnt-has-outgrown-mexico-its-next-step-is-to-be-feared-at-copa-america-055113385.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:established itself as the undisputed king of CONCACAF;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">established itself as the undisputed king of CONCACAF<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Which is, in part, why eyebrows raised when U.S. Soccer announced Sunday that Pulisic, McKennie and Ricardo Pepi would not make the trip to Guadalajara.<\/p>\n<p>But <a data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/mauricio-pochettinos-vision-for-the-usmnt-160020964.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Pochettino, in his second week on the job;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Pochettino, in his second week on the job<\/a>, had valid reasons.<\/p>\n<p>McKennie felt discomfort last week, and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gazzetta.it\/Calcio\/Serie-A\/Juventus\/15-10-2024\/juve-mckennie-e-l-infortunio-in-nazionale-salta-la-lazio-l-esito-degli-esami.shtml\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reports in Italy;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reports in Italy<\/a> suggest he&#8217;s struggling with muscle fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>Pulisic is not injured, but &#8220;he arrived a little bit tired,&#8221; Pochettino said Friday. &#8220;He&#8217;s playing every single game, every single minute&#8221; for AC Milan \u2014 which, Pochettino said, made him and his staff &#8220;a little bit worried.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So, Pochettino made the type of decision that a coach of lesser stature might not be able to make in his first month leading a national team; he played the long game.<\/p>\n<p>Pochettino has stressed that the &#8220;priority is going to be to arrive in the best condition for the World Cup,&#8221; as he said at his introductory news conference. And no friendly 20 months out, no matter the opponent, is going to have a significant impact on their condition come June 2026.<\/p>\n<p>What would have an impact is Pulisic&#8217;s fitness. &#8220;When we really need him, he needs to be in form, happy, strong,&#8221; Pochettino said last week. &#8220;Because he has enormous talent, he&#8217;s a fantastic player.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So he let Pulisic return to Milan, a decision that not only manages his physical and mental load, but also builds trust between player, national team and club.<\/p>\n<p>Pochettino also took off Antonee Robinson, perhaps the USMNT&#8217;s second-most dependable player, at halftime of Tuesday&#8217;s game.<\/p>\n<p>After holding McKennie out of Saturday&#8217;s game, he spoke about wanting to &#8220;protect&#8221; McKennie. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t want to take a risk,&#8221; Pochettino said.<\/p>\n<p>Nor should he.<\/p>\n<p>But the result \u2014 a first loss to Mexico since a <a data-i13n=\"cpos:7;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/usmnt-gregg-berhalter-mexico-uruguay-style-065608105.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:2019 friendly;cpos:7;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">2019 friendly<\/a>, one of the early low points of the Gregg Berhalter era \u2014 was nonetheless hard to stomach.<\/p>\n<p>And the performance was one of the USMNT&#8217;s worst of the last two years \u2014 especially given the state of the opponent, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:8;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/mexico-faces-deepening-soccer-crisis-ahead-of-rivalry-clash-with-usmnt-230850748.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:a sputtering Mexico team under pressure and in disarray;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">a sputtering Mexico team under pressure and in disarray<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It exposed the U.S. player pool&#8217;s lack of depth behind Pulisic and McKennie \u2014 and Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah, Sergi\u00f1o Dest, Chris Richards and Gio Reyna, all of whom are injured.<\/p>\n<p>It also offered a timely reminder \u2014 that despite the enthusiasm surrounding Pochettino, the new boss has <em>a lot<\/em> of work to do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/usmnt-sends-a-b-team-to-mexico-and-loses-its-unbeaten-streak-vs-el-tri-in-pitiful-fashion-042219019.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>C\u00e9sar Huerta scored in the second half of Tuesday&#8217;s friendly against the U.S. at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. Mexico won 2-0. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez Figueroa\/USSF\/Getty Images for USSF) &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=114837\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}