All the ingredients are there for another instant classic between the USA and Mexico in a World Cup qualifying showdown between the two powers in the CONCACAF region. Mexico is in first place in its group and the USA can catch El Tri in the standings with a win Friday night at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
Mexico might be the road team and it might be sporting a three-point cushion, but there’s serious pressure on head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. That’s because Mexico lost two finals to the USA during the summer: the inaugural Nations League final and the CONCACAF Gold Cup title match. It would be traumatic for Mexico supporters to drop three straight competitive matches. The difference in those previous matches was set pieces, which the Americans dominated. They could prove decisive once again as Mexico deals with key absences on the back line.
The USMNT, which failed to qualify for the last World Cup, will not want to drop points at home for a second time during the qualifying campaign, which reaches the midway point Friday. It’s why the USA decided to host the match in Ohio to give it the best chance at a decided home-field advantage.
WATCH: USA vs. Mexico on fuboTV
Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and match highlights as they happen.
USA vs. Mexico live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| USA | 0 | — | — |
| Mexico | 0 | — | — |
MORE: CONCACAF qualifying standings, schedule & highlights
Goals:
(All times Eastern)
25th min.: The game has cooled off a little bit, but there’s still an edge to this. It’s about which team will make the first big mistake.
19th min.: It’s back and forth with these teams. Now it’s Chucky Lozano with a chance on a breakaway and Steffen has to come up with another stop. Impressive pace to this game.
18th min.: Another shot on goal for the USA. Brenden Aaronson with the shot, but Ochoa stops it. Neither team spending much time on the ball. The pressure is too fierce.
12th min.: Great save by U.S. ‘keeper Zack Steffen. First big save of the match off an Edson Alvarez shot. That was a Tyler Adams who gifted that chance to Mexico.
8th min.: Breakaway for the USA and Tim Weah opts for the shot from distance which forces Memo Ochoa into a save.
7th min.: Corner for Mexico. Zack Steffen punches away and Edson Alvarez’s follow-up goes high.
5th min.: Cross from by Tim Weah on the right and Ricardo Pepi gets a touch on it in the Mexico box, but not enough to cause issues for Memo Ochoa.
2nd min.: The match is electric already. Players running at each other at 100 miles an hour.
1st min.: We’re off. Mexico kicks and the USA immediately comes out with the high press.
9:02 p.m.: Teams are out on the field. Here come the anthems:
8:51 p.m.: If you’re a U.S. fan looking for any sign:
Tonight’s #USMNT vs Mexico referee (Iván Arcides Barton Cisneros-SLV) has refereed 3 previous matches of USMNT with the US winning 2 & drawing one of those matches. #USAvMEX
— USKeeper 🇺🇸 (@USKeeper) November 13, 2023
8:46 p.m.: We’ll see how much of a pro-U.S. crowd this ends up being in Cincinnati:
7:37 p.m.: USA vs. Mexico is definitely a bucket list sports event:
7:02 p.m.: That’s some bit of history the USA can achieve with a win:
The last time the 🇺🇸 or 🇲🇽 won 3 straight games against each other in a calendar year………1937.
Can the @USMNT change that tonight here @TQLStadium in Cincinnati?! #USMNT #USAvMEX
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) November 12, 2023
7 p.m.: What it’s like just outside TQL Stadium:
USA vs. Mexico projected lineups
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter revealed that Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen will start (though he said it could have easily been Matt Turner) and Chelsea star Christian Pulisic will not. When the roster was announced , he made it clear that Ricardo Pepi would be getting the bulk of the minutes at forward.
USA starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 1-Zack Steffen-GK — 5-Antonee Robinson, 12-Miles Robinson, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 2-DeAndre Yedlin — 8-Weston McKennie, 4-Tyler Adams (capt.), 6-Yunus Musah — 20-Tim Weah, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 11-Brenden Aaronson
USA subs (12): 13-Matt Turner-GK, 22-Reggie Cannon, 18-Mark McKenzie, 15-Chris Richards, 21-Sam Vines, 23-Kellyn Acosta, 16-Gianluca Busio, 17-Sebastian Lletget, 14-Cristian Roldan, 10-Christian Pulisic, 7-Paul Arriola, 19-Jesus Ferreira
Mexico comes into the match with headaches along the back line, where center backs Nestor Araujo (suspension) and Cesar Montes (injury) are out, and Hector Moreno, who was a gametime decision, starts on the bench. Julio Cesar “Cata” Dominguez and Johan Vasquez will form the center back partnership.
Mexico starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 13-Guillermo Ochoa-GK — 23-Jesus Gallardo, 5-Johan Vasquez, 3-Julio Cesar “Cata” Dominguez, 21-Luis “Chaka” Rodriguez — 7-Luis Romo, 4-Edson Alvarez, 16-Hector Herrera — 17-Jesus Manuel “Tecatito” Corona, 9-Raul Jimenez, 22-Hirving “Chucky” Lozano
Mexico subs (12): 12-Rodolfo Cota-GK, 1-Alfredo Talavera-GK, 15-Hector Moreno, 20-Gilberto “Tiba” Sepulveda, 6-Jorge Sanchez, 2-Osvaldo Rodriguez, 18-Andres Guardado, 8-Carlos “Charly” Rodriguez, 14-Roberto “Piojo” Alvarado, 10-Orbelin Pineda, 19-Henry Martin, 11-Rogelio Funes Mori
DECOURCY: Rivalry is everything when it comes to USA vs. Mexico
How to watch USA vs. Mexico
- Date: Friday, Nov. 12
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV channels: ESPN2
- Spanish-language TV: Univision, TUDN
- Streaming: fuboTV , ESPN+
USA vs. Mexico will air on ESPN2 (English), and Univision and TUDN (Spanish) with all three channels streaming on fuboTV . New subscribers can get a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
MORE: How the USA can qualify for the 2022 World Cup
The match will be held at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, the home of Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati. The venue opened last May.
