Mexico’s Snappy La Tri Stifle USWNT 2-O in W Gold Cup Play

CARSON, Calif. – Monday evening’s North American rivalry game between the United States and Mexico in drizzly Los Angeles was billed as the Group A finale of CONCACAF’s first-ever W Gold Cup tournament.

However, the showdown played out more like an emotional must-win quarterfinal match in a Women’s World Cup tourney.

Mexico’s newly anointed head coach, Pedro Lopez, superbly prepared his young militia to battle the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). He also drafted a battleplan unlike any that the Lady Yanks have faced since playing against the world’s best in both New Zealand and Australia some seven months ago.

When on attack, Mexico out foxed, blitzed, flanked, and salvoed the United States throughout the 90 minutes. When on defense, they held the U.S.’s foward progress to the bare minimum, then dug in to protect their goal from any and all intruders. Mexico admirably triumphed despite being out possessed 68% to 32%. Their sentries only let the might United States get off two shots on target.

Mexico not only received praise from their onsite patriotic fan club, but also those who watched on all sorts of electronic device back home and here in America.

La Tri’s win amounted to a first ever on American soil. The last time Mexico defeated Team USA was 14 years ago, and mind you, the 2-1 victory took place in the Mexico resort city of Cancun.

Last night’s 2-nil outcome was a conservative outcome. FIFA’s distant 35th-ranked Mexico could have easily won this match 5-0. The U.S. was saved from embarrassment by its gifted keeper, Alyssa Naeher who made point blank saves, and leveraged her trusty ally- the crossbar to help her keep the game close. 

While Naeher played well, the combinations of Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman did not. They and their teamates were all out if sorts from the first whistle and genuinely unable to counter Mexico’s 4-5-1 formation. 

In the 38th minute Mexico’s Jacqueline Ovalle scored. Her mate, Karla Nieto, lobbed a ball down field. Running a maximum speed, the attacker intercepted Becky Sauerbrunn’s attempted clearance before dodging Alyssa Naeher at the top of the box. Nieto then sent a scoop shot into the back of the net. 

Sauerbrunn recalled the testy match in Cancun. The veteran defender was there. “I would say 2010, in that game, playing in Cancun, that stadium, I think we were all a little bit surprised by that result of qualifying for the World Cup.”

She continued, “I would say tonight that we never take any opponent for granted. I think they had a game plan and they executed it better than than what we had for our game plan. So that’s all on us.”

In stoppage time, Mexico caught the USA with too many players forward. 

The ball was played to Mayra Pelayo on the left, who dribbled straight at U.S.’s Midge Purce before pulling the trigger on a heat-seeking missile past an outstretched Naeher and into the top right corner. 

Interim head coach Kilgore said in her stoic post match press conference, “I think they had a good game plan, I think we had a good game plan. Simply, they just executed theirs better than ours,” Kilgore added. “Part of that does have to do with intensity but generally can be measured by things like tempo with the ball, but also defensive things like winning first tackles and winning second balls.”

The USWNT is now 40W-1D-2L against Mexico and 12W-0D-2L in official competitions. 

Eight teams will now progress to the quarterfinals. The teams will be reshuffled and fresh groups will be formed in two days. The tournament will resume soon thereafter.

Both Mexico and the USWNT have qualified for the quarterfinal stage play. They will  wait for final results from Group B on Tuesday and Group C on Wednesday.

After Wednesday, the top two teams from each group and two best third place teams will qualify for the knockout stages.

Following the quarterfinals in Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, the semifinals and final will be at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on March 6 and 10.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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