US gains 0-0 draw at Mexico, in strong position to qualify

Christian Pulisic pounded the bottom 3 times simply previous Mexico’s objective line after his point-blank shot was blocked within the thirty fifth minute.

The US was pissed off but happy with a gritty 0-0 draw on Thursday evening within the skinny air of a half-full Estadio Azteca. The purpose earned put the Individuals in place to all however clinch a World Cup berth with a victory in opposition to Panama on Sunday evening at Orlando, Florida.

“We put ourselves ready to play on Sunday and win and go to the World Cup,” Pulisic mentioned. “However after all I am disillusioned I missed an opportunity, and I might have beloved to have gained the sport.”

The U.S. maintained second place in North and Central America and the Caribbean with 22 factors, 4 behind Canada, and forward of Mexico on objective distinction. The highest three nations attain this 12 months’s World Cup in Qatar, and the No. 4 staff advances to a playoff, seemingly in opposition to New Zealand.

With a victory Sunday, the U.S. would make sure that fourth-place Costa Rica may solely pull even by successful its closing two video games. The U.S. has a plus-nine objective distinction, the primary tiebreaker, and the Ticos are plus-two following a 1-0 win over Canada. If Costa Rica fails to win at El Salvador and the U.S. beats Panama, which has 18 factors after being held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Honduras, the Individuals would clinch outright.

The U.S. closes on March 30 at Costa Rica, the place the Individuals have by no means gained in qualifying.

“We’re getting shut,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter mentioned. “Optimistic disappointment, that’s how I might characterize it. The group is jazzed up. They’re psyched.”

Berhalter performed his “A” staff — minus 5 injured regulars — after debating whether or not to relaxation prime gamers forward of Sunday. He’ll face Panama considerably depleted.

Proper again DeAndre Yedlin and winger Tim Weah each got their second yellow playing cards of qualifying and should serve one-game suspensions, Yedlin within the twenty sixth for an pointless sliding sort out within the midfield on Edson Álvarez and Weah within the thirty ninth for knocking over Raúl Jiménez from behind on a throw-in. The U.S. is brief at proper again with Sergiño Dest injured and Reggie Cannon sidelined following a optimistic COVID-19 take a look at, and Berhalter mentioned Shaq Moore already had flown from Spain’s Tenerife to affix the U.S. group in Orlando.

Mexico, which has 40 wins, two losses and 10 attracts in qualifiers at Azteca, outshot the U.S. 11-9 and had 62.3% possession. However the Individuals had the higher possibilities, a 1.26 anticipated targets to Mexico’s 0.40.

El Tri followers booed the house staff on the closing whistle.

Zack Steffen acquired the beginning over Ethan Hovath and got here away together with his second shutout in opposition to Mexico in qualifying, serving to the U.S. lengthen its unbeaten streak over El Tri to 4 video games, together with three wins.

Pulisic was alone in entrance after Ricardo Pepi fed Weah extensive and the winger acquired round two defenders for a cross. Sprinting towards objective with Johan Vásquez giving chase, Pulisic redirected the ball together with his left foot from 7 yards just for goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa to react shortly sufficient to dam the shot off his ribcage.

Pulisic had one other shut name with an angled left-foot shot that Ochoa parried within the forty ninth for a nook kick.

Gio Reyna, the 19-year-old midfielder who had missed the earlier 10 qualifiers with a strained hamstring, changed Weah within the sixtieth minute and confirmed explosive velocity. Reyna directed Kellyn Acosta’s looping cross within the 72nd minute to Jordan Pefok, who got here in on the similar time instead of Pepi, however Pefok misfired a left-foot shot and despatched it extensive from 6 yards.

Reyna dribbled half the size of the sector within the 77th, beginning about 10 yards from his personal penalty space. He dashed proper to evade a sliding Héctor Herrera, deked left to slalom previous Vásquez, sprinted into the middle circle and spun round Herrera once more, outran Gerardo Arteaga, dribbled previous Jiménez and lower left after which proper to blow previous Jorge Sánchez’s slide sort out. Solely then was Vásquez capable of knock the ball away, about 30 yards from Mexico’s objective.

Berhalter considered Diego Maradona’s second objective in opposition to England in a 1986 World Cup quarterfinal performed on the identical subject.

“I had visions of that when Gio was dribbling,” Berhalter mentioned. “Sadly, he didn’t end it off.”

Reyna blushed when advised of Berhalter’s comment.

“I do not find out about that, however, yeah, it was a pleasant run,” he mentioned. “Ultimately, it did not actually end up to something.”

After FIFA ordered Mexico to play a pair of dwelling qualifiers with out followers as punishment for homophobic chants throughout October qualifiers in opposition to Honduras and Canada, the Mexican Soccer Federation restricted the group to about 47,000 within the 87,000-seat stadium and mandated spectators current a QR Code and identification for entry.

For a lot of the primary half, two sections of a number of hundred American Outlaws within the higher deck have been louder than Mexico’s supporters.

“I believe everybody’s fairly happy with the way in which tonight went,” Pulisic mentioned. “Three factors would have been wonderful right here, however we will not get too grasping. They’re an awesome staff in a tough place to play.”

NOTES: Aaron Lengthy and Erik Palmer-Brown entered within the eightieth minute, the thirty seventh and thirty eighth American gamers utilized in qualifying. Palmer-Brown turned the 114th U.S. participant of the World Cup cycle, the 88th since Berhalter turned coach in December 2018.