Since starting the final round with two defeats under former coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the Americans (2-2-2) are unbeaten in four straight and back in contention for one of the region's three tickets to the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
"I feel good about where we are", Coach Bruce Arena said. Mexico, after barely qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, looks in top form this time around with a healthy and hungry roster. The U.S. generated seven corner kicks.
Global soccer is an odd and tricky business. El Tri remains a dominant home side.
usa midfielder Christian Pulisic acknowledges fans as he leaves the pitch after the team's World Cup soccer qualifying match against Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Commerce City, Colo.
The Mexico team that the USA drew Sunday night was on a four-game Hex winning streak, hadn't conceded a competitive goal since November, and hadn't trailed in a competitive game since last summer's Copa America.
The current USA lineup is not packed with world-beaters, but there are some positive signs. He went with a 3-4-3 formation, with Geoff Cameron, Christian Pulisic, Bradley and DeAndre Yedlin being the only holdovers from the Trinidad game. By "them", we mean Michael Bradley.
The US continued to look lively on the counter-attack, and Bradley nearly added another wonder-goal to his account on 74 minutes with a dipping volley from 30 yards that hit the post.
"It's going to take a lot, but I think with the guys we have and the confidence we have, there's no reason why we can't do it", he said. The previous meeting occurred in the 2015 Algarve Cup in Portugal, when Lloyd scored twice in the second half for a 2-1 USA victory.
Hundreds reflect on anniversary of Pulse nightclub shooting
But Xavier looks at the memorial as a way to give back, to tell his stories , and to encourage others to save a life. As previously reported , gunman Omar Mateen opened fire inside the LGBT nightclub on June 12, 2016 .
From there, it was classic park-the-bus from the US, as Mexico racked up 74% of possession.
"Chanting "puto" does not make you more Mexican", the statement read.
American soccer does a better job of producing technical players than it used to, but for the foreseeable future at least its most effective route to being competitive globally will be through good old-fashioned effort and determination. Without those factors, this was a game that could have speedily headed south once Mexico equalized.
The second half didn't quite have the same zip as the first half, though there were still chances for both sides to find a victor.
Both Trinidad and Tobago and Panama have yet to travel to Mexico, undoubtedly the in-form team among CONCACAF's crop, and the United States will treat its growing defensive stature as a positive of the Arena reign. "I'm proud of the result". I'm a little greedy.
Panama hosts Honduras on Tuesday and Costa Rica is home against Trinidad and Tobago. That scenario though, need not and will not induce panic in the coach or his charges.
At the end, with the United States pegged back, the final result was a point for both teams. The match is expected to be a thrilling encounter between the two strongest teams in the CONCACAF Region and should prove to be a hard-fought match between archrivals.
The battle is not over, but headway has been made and a platform has been built.
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