It’s time once again for Christian Pulisic and the USMNT to look at the man in the mirror. Tomorrow night, they’ll take on their greatest rival, Mexico, who of course put another log on the fire of this rivalry with Guillermo Ochoa’s saying the USA wants to mirror their soccer image after El Tri. The U.S. has won their past three meetings with Mexico, of course, but now they’re playing south of the border, where they have been atrocious.
In 15 qualifying fixtures since 1949, they have managed three draws, twelve losses and no wins.
USMNT World Cup Qualifying FYIs
Starting XI Prediction vs Mexico
USMNT WCQ Preview Guide/TV/Streaming Info
Key Stat: The United States Men’s National Team has never won a competitive match at the Azteca, where they’re 0-3-3 all time in World Cup qualifying.
“Our record here is horrendous,” U.S. Head Coach Gregg Berhalter plainly said on Wednesday. “The odds are against us getting something out of the game. We know that. We realize that. That’s just how it is and we’re focused on going in and being difficult to play against.”
Chelsea man and Captain America stated just how important it would be to finally end the Mojave Desert like drought and finally take three points from a visit to Ciudad de Mexico.
“It would mean everything [to win at the Azteca],” he said.
“We know it’s not going to be easy. Of course, we’ve got the better of them in the last couple of games, but that means nothing coming into tomorrow’s game. So we’re going need to battle, we’re going to need another top performance and continue to do the things that we have been doing in the past games against them.
“We’re going to need an amazing performance to win again tomorrow.”
Pulisic is right- it’s going to take a massive all-around performance to try and get a result here.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.