The US men’s national team left Estadio Azteca with a 0-0 result on Thursday night, getting closer to their ultimate goal in Concacaf World Cup qualifying.
The Yanks will have the opportunity to secure their ticket to Qatar 2022 on Sunday at home against Panama (7 pm ET | FS1, UniMás, TUDN).
Here’s a look at how each player performed against El Tri at the Azteca.
United States Men's National Team Player Ratings
The Manchester City netminder had a relatively quiet night, with Mexico only managing two shots on target. At times Steffen was put under pressure with poor back-passes, but kept his cool.
Yedlin struggled at times in possession and will miss the Panama match after picking up a yellow card. The Inter Miami CF defender had an important second-half clearance at the back post to keep the clean sheet.
The Nashville SC stalwart consistently put out fires in the back, stepping up several times to cut out chances. He didn’t contribute as much going forward as he has in the past, and perhaps was fortunate not to concede a second-half penalty, but was a crucial part of a clean sheet at the Azteca.
Like Zimmerman, Robinson was assured defensively and played no-nonsense in possession. The Atlanta United man picked up an early yellow card, but managed himself well for the remainder of the match.
Typically excellent in attack, the Fulham man struggled to track back defensively. As the game grew on, Mexico consistently got in behind the left back, with most of their chances coming down the left flank.
Adams put in a typically sound defensive performance, covering acres of space and putting out plenty of fires in front of the back four. While he wasn’t as influential in possession as he’s been in recent matches, he managed to avoid a yellow card, keeping him available for Sunday night’s crucial match vs. Panama.
Kellyn Acosta keeps showing up for the USMNT in big matches. The LAFC midfielder ran the show in midfield on the road against their biggest rival, setting up Christian Pulisic and Giovanni Reyna for two of the evening’s best chances. Not too shabby with Weston McKennie (foot) out injured.
The young Valencia midfielder started the game well, with a decent near-post shot saved by Memo Ochoa. He struggled as the match went on and nearly gave up a goal with an under-hit back pass late in the second half.
The Chelsea winger was active in his 84-minute shift, cutting inside from the left and displaying a few moments of quick passing. However, he held the ball too long on more than one occasion, and missed a gilt-edged chance from six yards out that deserved a finish.
It was somewhat surprising to see the FC Augsburg forward get the start, and he struggled to get involved throughout the night. He touched the ball just 20 times in his 60 minutes, and didn’t manage a shot. The team looked more dangerous once he’d gone off.
The Lille attacker was bright throughout his 60-minute shift, setting up Pulisic with a perfect ball across the box and coming close with a couple efforts of his own. Weah picked up a yellow card that will keep him out against Panama.
Berhalter went with his starters to kick off the window, and the decision paid off with a rare point from Mexico City. It wasn’t always pretty, but his side got the job done, and they’ve now gone four matches without a loss to El Tri. A point to start the final round of qualifying may ease some of the pressure in their final two matches, with a trip to Qatar firmly in view.
Substitutes
The young Dortmund playmaker showed fans why he’s been such a big loss for this team over the last few months in his return from injury. He immediately provided a spark off the bench, injecting the match with creativity. Reyna should have notched an assist with a perfectly-weighted pass across the face of goal, and went on a run through midfield past several helpless defenders to remind fans what a special talent he is.
The striker couldn’t bring his red-hot club form to the national team level. Brought on as the USMNT looked to push for a goal, the Young Boys man missed a golden chance to earn three points, flubbing his shot wide from inside the six-yard box after Reyna’s pass set him up for a seemingly simple finish.
After a year out with injury, the New York Red Bulls defender had a very strong 10-minute cameo. With the system shifting to a back five to close out the match, Long popped up everywhere to put out fires, and made a crucial goal-line clearance with his first touch of the match.
Not only did the Troyes defender make his competitive international debut in a massive World Cup qualifier at the Azteca, he did it in an unfamiliar position as an emergency right wingback. He wasn’t called on much in his 10-minute appearance, but he helped see out the clean sheet.
Brought on for the final six minutes to see the match out, the Seattle Sounders attacker did well to avoid giving away a penalty kick. Morris wasn’t involved much otherwise.
