Mexico vs. USA: What Result Means for Both Teams Going into World Cup Qualifiers

The United States shocked Mexico by winning at Estadio Azteco for the first time ever, and that will give the Americans momentum as both countries head into the third round of World Cup qualifying matches.

El Tri controlled the match against the Americans and had possession for 66 percent of the 90 minutes, while using that time on the ball to create 19 shots. The United States managed to shoot at Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa just seven times.

However, the U.S. led in the only stat that matters—goals scored. In the 80^th minute, Brek Shea ran up the left side of the pitch and found Terrence Boyd, who had his back to the goal. The substitute striker cleverly tapped the ball towards goal with his heel, while Michael Orozco was waiting patiently to capitalize on the juicy opportunity.

Orozco’s goal was the only successful strike in the Americans’ historic victory, as the Mexican’s potent attack could not get passed the indomitable presence of Tim Howard.  Going forward, here is how each team will respond to the result.

Mexico

Here is the Mexican national team’s World Cup qualifying schedule for the next two months, via Goal.com.

Opponent	Date	Location
Costa Rica	Sept. 7, 2012	Costa Rica
Costa Rica	Sept. 11, 2012	Mexico
Guyana	Oct. 12, 2012	Guyana
El Salvador	Oct. 16, 2012	Mexico

The stunning defeat will not be overly detrimental to El Tri and it will merely serve as a reality check.

Mexico had outscored the United States 12-3 in the last four meetings between the two teams and the youth squad was coming off an incredible upset after winning the gold medal at the London Olympics. The country’s soccer fans were on Cloud Nine, but the loss has subdued its excitement. 

Still, the Mexican team is more talented the Americans, and there is not a country in CONCACAF that should be able to beat El Tri in a meaningful match. When the rivalry continues down the line in World Cup qualifying, the United States will face a much more difficult task. 

In the upcoming matches, Costa Rica poses the biggest threat to the Mexicans, but should not pose too much trouble. The supporters will also be clamoring for a dominant showing against El Salvador, and El Tri will likely deliver. Do not expect the team to drop points in any of these matches. 

United States

Here is the U.S. national team’s World Cup qualifying schedule for the next two months, via USsoccer.com.

Opponent	Date	Location
Jamaica	Sept. 7, 2012	Jamaica
Jamaica	Sept. 11, 2012	United States
Antigua & Barbuda	Oct. 12, 2012	Antigua
Guatemala	Oct. 16, 2012	United States

The win over Mexico is a massive victory for the United States. This is the type of signature result that can unite a team behind its coach.

Jurgen Klinsmann showed that he can be a world-class coach when he led the German national team at the 2006 World Cup, but his ability to take the Americans up a level remains in question. He still has not shown that his team is capable of pulling out an impressive result at the 2014 World Cup, but the victory over El Tri was an important step.

The prevailing opinion before the team's most recent match was that the Mexicans were pulling away from the Americans in terms of quality, but the 1-0 result has cast doubt on this assertion.

Excellent performances from Tim Howard, as well as several young and inexperienced players spurred the victory. Expect these Americans to play with significantly more confidence going forward, and when the established stars re-join the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the United States will perform at a high level. Do not expect the team to drop points in these matches, setting up showdowns with El Tri later in the qualification process.