USA, Mexico ratings: El Tri teach Pochettino a Concacaf lesson

The United States men’s national team had a rough night in Guadalajara on Tuesday, thoroughly beaten by rivals Mexico 2-0.

Mauricio Pochettino’s second match in charge of the Stars and Stripes went much, much different than the 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday, as the U.S. struggled in almost all phases of play.

The absences of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, who departed for their clubs prior to the match, loomed large. Toss in the injured Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna and Chris Richards, and Pochettino was missing a lot of talent and experience for this rivalry match.

Still, it was a disappointing showing for the Americans, who did not register a shot until the second half and only three total in the contest. There were few bright spots for the U.S. in this match and potentially an important learning experience for both Pochettino and this younger, less experienced group of players.

Now, they are tasked with regrouping before the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals next month with the bad taste of a comprehensive loss to their rivals in their mouths. — Ryan Rosenblatt

U.S. player ratings

Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)

GK Matt Turner, 5 — Turner got a hand on Raúl Jiménez’s free kick, but it was simply too good of a shot for the goalkeeper to keep out. He was left in a similarly bad position on Mexico’s second goal. Otherwise, Turner spent much of the match getting in position for El Tri shots that missed the frame.

DF Joe Scally, 4 — Scally had the second-most touches of any player on the pitch and wasn’t a problem with the ball, especially in his own third, but hardly dangerous. He’s shown himself to be a threatening player getting forward at the club level, but it continues to escape him for the national team.

DF Tim Ream, 3 — The 37-year-old belied his age with a fantastic recovery run and tackle to win the ball. Unfortunately, Ream followed that up by having the ball taken off his foot in the U.S. box to set up Mexico’s second goal in what was a tough night for the veteran.

DF Miles Robinson, 4 — The pre-game injury to Mark McKenzie forced Robinson into an unexpected start and it wasn’t his best showing. He was beaten a couple times one-on-one, was too quick to play the ball long, and was unable to clean up Ream’s mistake on the second goal, but he did make a couple smart interceptions to cut out would-be chances for Mexico.

DF Antonee Robinson, 6 — Pochettino demands a lot of his full-backs and Robinson took on a ton of responsibility in the 45 minutes he played, functionally manning the left flank by himself as the winger in front of him drifted inside. He had the legs to do the job, pressing well on a couple occasions, but he wasn’t given many options on the ball and his passing could have been better.

MF Aidan Morris, 2 — No player had as many problems as Morris, who struggled to get on the ball, then to play the ball forward at all when he did get on it. He wasn’t much better defensively, as he consistently found himself on the wrong side of Mexico players. The midfielder wasn’t the sole reason the U.S. was dominated in the center of the pitch, but he certainly played a big role in it.

MF Gianluca Busio, 4 — Busio had some bright moments when he pushed forward. He made smart runs, kept the ball moving and won a good tackle in the press, but he was far less impactful when playing from deeper as he struggled to make himself available in the build up and play the ball forward with any tempo.

MF Yunus Musah, 3 — Musah was given an attacking role in the midfield and allowed to wander into whatever pockets he could find. Unfortunately, the ball very rarely found him and he was unable to find his way back to the ball to get involved. This was a good opportunity for Musah to really take a starring role in the U.S. midfield, but that never happened.

FW Malik Tillman, 3 — Tillman did his best to try to get into the match at times, checking back to the ball if only to keep things moving, but it was hardly impactful and his passing was sloppy. He and Musah swapped roles midway through the first half and that allowed Tillman to dribble forward a couple times, but it didn’t come to much.

FW Josh Sargent, 4 — You’d be forgiven if you forgot Sargent was on the pitch. The striker was entirely anonymous and while much of that is certainly the fault of the players behind him who struggled to play the ball forward, it’s hardly the first time Sargent has struggled to find his way into a match for the U.S.

FW Brenden Aaronson, 3 — Aaronson was his typical energetic and relentless self off the ball, but it was a difficult match for him with the ball at his feet. He was routinely dispossessed, often looking at the referee from the ground as Mexico went the other way with the ball. His late pass to Brandon Vázquez to set up a good chance helped rescue what was an otherwise tough night for the Leeds United man.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

DF Kristoffer Lund, 6 — Lund entered the match at half-time and immediately made a difference. His runs from deep made El Tri worry from time to time and he had one of the lone U.S. chances of the game when he slipped into the back post, only to scuff the shot.

FW Alejandro Zendejas, 7- – The Club América man was welcomed to the pitch with boos, as expected in Guadalajara, and did nothing to endear himself to the Mexican fans. He was the Americans’ best player, playing with pace, running at defenders and hitting a great ball for Lund to create one of the few U.S. opportunities.

FW Brandon Vázquez, 6 — Like the rest of the U.S. forwards, Vázquez didn’t get a ton of service, but he still made an impact. He brought down some long balls really well, showing off good hold up play, and made a good run before ripping the lone shot on target for the U.S. in the game.

FW Haji Wright, 5 — Zendejas’ strong performance had tilted play to the opposite wing by the time Wright came on, so he didn’t get involved too much, but he pressed well and made a couple smart runs that went unseen by his teammates.

MF Tanner Tessmann, 5 — The match had gotten away from the U.S. by the time Tessmann entered, but he did bring some calm to the midfield and at least got them off the back foot. He handled pressure well and probably earned himself another look with the national team next month.

DF Auston Trusty, N/R — Brought on for Morris in the 83rd minute.

Manager rating (1-10)

Mauricio Pochettino, 3 — The U.S. boss has a reasonable excuse for the performance considering how many of the team’s top players were absent, but it was a poor display nonetheless. The U.S. did not match Mexico’s intensity and physicality and when Mexico eliminated the Americans’ play through the middle, they had no options out wide. His substitutions did help, but not nearly enough to make things competitive. It was an ugly match and a rude welcome to the rivalry for the new U.S. manager. — Rosenblatt

Mexico player ratings

Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)

GK Angel Malagon, 7 — El Tri’s goalkeeper was rarely called upon during the game, but responded in kind when challenged by the opposition’s forwards. He was good with his feet and quick to leap out and cut down crosses inside the box. In the 78th minute, his save kept the USMNT off the scoreboard.

DF César Montes, 7 — As time wears on, the backline duo of Montes and Johan Vásquez has become stronger with each pairing. Currently, no other players on the depth chart come close. Montes was solid in aerial duels and did not encounter any issues when starting attacks from the back.

DF Johan Vásquez, 7 — A solid, sobering presence in the back, Vásquez kept a close eye on the opponent’s forwards and was not tested much. He rarely gets into trouble with opposing players, or with referees.

DF Jorge Sánchez, 6 — A secondary role for Sánchez on Tuesday night, as he was unable to impact on attack and failed to connect with “Piojo” Alvarado on the right side. Defensively speaking, he didn’t have much to do and mostly broke up any attempt on his side of the pitch.

DF Jesús Angulo, 6 — Moving up front is clearly not Angulo’s strength, as he struggled to do so during the match. He focused more on defending, and when faced with the USMNT’s Zendejas as a direct threat in the second half, he was called to action often, so much so both were entangled in a confrontation that netted both players yellow cards.

MF Edson Álvarez, 7 — Rafa Márquez’s influence on Álvarez is starting to show, as the West Ham United man is focused more on defending now than starting attacks, something he did much more in the past. Similar to what he does at the club level, Álvarez dedicated himself to recovering possession of the ball and did quite well in that respect. He was cautioned during the scuffle with Zendejas.

MF Andrés Guardado, 6 — Guardado’s days with the Mexican national team came to a close after a near-two decade tenure. After 18 minutes on the Estadio Akron pitch, he said goodbye, but not before showing off his talent one last time on the pitch. He was unburdened and mostly displayed a risk-free style, on a night in which he put an end to one of the best international careers in Mexican history.

MF Orbelín Pineda, 6 — The Greece-based midfielder attempted to connect with Jiménez, Huerta and Alvarado but mostly seemed lost in that capacity. He committed a pair of fouls that showed Aguirre was focused on getting intensity from every single one of his players.

FW Roberto Alvarado, 6 — At Liga MX level, his talent is undeniable and that is precisely why more is asked of him with the national team. Once more, he let an opportunity slip through his fingers as he was mostly AWOL on the right side of the attack. He failed to connect with Pineda towards the middle and rarely stepped into the box to create chances.

FW César Huerta, 8 — A star for Pumas at the club level, he’s slowly starting to achieve the same role in the national team. On Tuesday, Huerta luxuriated in putting away a chance against Mexico’s biggest rival and extend El Tri’s lead in the match. He was absolutely fearless.

FW Raul Jimenez, 8 — It looks like Mexico’s striker woes are over. Since the 2022 World Cup, El Tri have been missing a solid performer in the position — and Jimenez has filled that opening. He scored a fantastic goal, assisted another, and nearly every Mexican attack flowed through him. His free kick in the 21st minute will make highlight reels around the world, and the 33-year-old was able to straighten out a dangerous attack in the second half that ended in a second goal.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

MF Luis Romo, 7 — Mexico’s second goal came from Romo regaining possession in midfield. He was strong when combined with Alvarez and both were able to help end a five-year winless streak against the USMNT.

FW Germán Berterame, 6 — He tried his best to show off the skill that made him a hot commodity for El Tri, but did not achieve his desired impact in attack. Berterame came on for Pineda, but did not come close to covering the same amount of ground as the AEK Athens player.