USMNT beats Mexico, wins third consecutive Nations League title
The road to the top was bumpy, but the U. S. Men's National Team reached the summit of North American soccer once again.
It beat Mexico 2-0 in Arlington, Texas, to take home its third consecutive CONCACAF Nations League trophy.
The USMNT struggled against Jamaica in the semifinal earlier this week but looked stronger, fitter and more in sync against Mexico from the opening whistle. The return of Sergino Dest at right back and Tyler Adams in central midfield added some much-needed speed and structure to the USMNT's spine.
After a balanced first half, it was Adams who found the breakthrough for the USMNT. He slammed a speculative shot past Mexican goalkeeper Memo Ochoa on the verge of halftime. It was his first goal — and his first start — for the USMNT after missing over a year of action for a serious ACL injury.
The USMNT continued to pin Mexico back during the second half, and it was Gio Reyna — another controversial and long-absent USMNT figure — who sealed the game for the Americans. He slammed a first-time volley into the net off a brilliant assist from Christian Pulisic.
The 2-0 scoreline — "dos a cero" — is meaningful to American and Mexican fans. It's the scoreline that the USMNT beat Mexico by in the Round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup, a game that many believe tipped the balance of power away from Mexico and toward the U. S. in North American soccer.
The game was marred in its closing stages by crowd trouble when Mexican fans voiced a chant featuring discriminatory language. Per North American soccer regulations, the referee stopped and eventually suspended the game for several minutes as punishment for the chanting.
It wasn't the game's only instance of crowd trouble: the USMNT players were pelted with bottles while celebrating their opening goal.
This game bodes well for the USMNT. The squad looked energized, focused and quick under the Nations League spotlight and bounced back beautifully from its woeful midweek performance against Jamaica. For Mexico, though, this game opens plenty of questions.
It's clear that much needs to change — within both the team and the fandom — before the World Cup comes to the Azteca in 2026.
Both the USMNT and Mexico will return to action in the Copa America this June.
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