USMNT, Mexico Play to Scoreless Draw in Key 2022 World Cup Qualifying Clash

The United States men's national team and Mexico played to a 0-0 draw Thursday in World Cup qualifying at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as the U.S. held on to second place in the CONCACAF table.

Thursday's match was a challenging one for Gregg Berhalter's side, which was without five starters because of injuries suffered over the last few weeks. 

Chris Richards suffered an ankle injury in a 2-0 loss to Canada in January; midfielder Weston McKennie broke his foot during a Champions League round of 16 match for Juventus in February; goalie Matt Turner suffered a foot injury before the New England Revolution's 2022 season opener and has yet to play; defender Sergino Dest injured his hamstring; and Brenden Aaronson sprained his MCL. 

Despite those losses, the Americans opened the first half with confidence. And despite trailing possession, the U.S. got the better of the chances, with the first coming from midfielder Yunus Musah in the 13th minute.

Musah had an incredible opportunity to give the U.S. an early lead on a run toward the back post but didn't give the shot enough juice as Mexican goalkeeper Memo Ochoa parried it away to force a corner kick. 

Christian Pulisic had an even better opportunity on a pass from Tim Weah directly in front of the net, but his finish was lacking. Ochoa, who was stellar all night, denied the opportunity in a frustrating night for the Chelsea star. 

Mexico appeared vulnerable throughout the first half, but both sides entered halftime without a goal. That wasn't the case in the second half as El Tri began to open things up despite some misses from the U.S. 

Pulisic's struggles continued into the second half as he was denied again on a great opportunity in the 48th minute. Berhalter took him off in the 83rd minute, replacing him with Jordan Morris.

Gio Reyna also made his highly anticipated return to the USMNT lineup Thursday, subbing in for Weah in the 60th minute. In the short time that he played, he was one of the best players on the field. 

He also set up Jordan Pefok beautifully in the 71st minute, but the Young Boys striker missed the net in what was another incredible opportunity for the Americans. 

Thursday's game was all about missed chances for the U.S. Had it cashed in on just one opportunity, the CONCACAF table would look very different entering Sunday's match against Panama, who played to a 1-1 draw with Honduras on Thursday. 

Regardless, the USMNT will take the point to hold on to the second spot in the standings. The top three teams in CONCACAF qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the fourth-place team has to compete in an intercontinental playoff.

The Americans' game against Panama on Sunday is even bigger than Thursday's match against Mexico, and they'll be missing both Weah and DeAndre Yedlin, who earned yellow cards against El Tri.