A tale of two halves in Glendale, Ariz., ended on even footing, with the United States and Mexico each controlling play for 45 minutes at University of Phoenix Stadium. After a first half dominated by Michael Bradley sent the U.S. into halftime up two, Mexico was back even within 22 minutes of halftime, leaving the two World Cup qualifiers tied 2-2.
Bradley opened the scoring in the 15th minute with an easy finish into an open goal off a Graham Zusi corner. In the 28th minute, the U.S. midfielder helped double his team’s lead when his far post flick of Tony Beltran’s cross allowed Chris Wondolowski to finish an equally easy scored.
Four minutes into the second half, a Rafa Marquez header from just outside the six-yard box brought El Tri to within 2-1. In the 67th minute, a shot off the left upright from Paul Aguilar bounced out to Alán Pulido, allowing the Tigres attacker to score the game’s tying goal.
The match was the last friendly for each side before the teams assemble in May ahead of this summer’s World Cup. Mexico will play Israel, Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Portugal in the lead up to its June 13 opener, while the U.S. will face Azerbaijan, Turkey and Nigeria before heading to Brazil.
The United States broke through after 15 minutes, covering a corner kick won after Omar Gonzalez nearly headed the U.S. in front. On Zusi’s restart, Bradley lost Mexico midfielder Jesus Zavaleta on a far post run. With Mexico goalkeeper Moisés Muñoz caught up in a crowd at the near post, Bradley finished into an open net from close range, giving the U.S. and early 1-0 lead.
In the period the followed, the U.S. dominated control of the ball, eventually building a 61-39 possession edge by half time. The approach also allowed Jurgen Klinsmann’s side to reach halftime without having allowed a shot on target, with Nick Rimando’s activity dominated by claiming floated crosses.
Just before the half-hour mark, the U.S made it 2-0. Off a Beltran cross from the right, Bradley’s near post run saw the Toronto FC midfielder flick a perfect header far post. That’s where Chris Wondolowski beat Rogelio Chávez for an easy tap-in, giving the U.S. a lead they’d carry into halftime.
Within four minutes of intermission, though, Mexico cut the lead in half. After earning a corner kick to the left of Nick Rimando’s goal, Gonzalez could not fight through a pick on a Marco Fabián cross, allowing Marquez to beat a flat-footed Rimando with a header from the middle of the area.
It was part of the second half resurgence that saw Mexico create its first chances of the game, putting a shot off Rimando’s cross-bar in the minutes after the goal. When a flicked on corner allowed Marquez to try a bicycle kick in the moments that followed, El Tri has seized an early control of the second half. By the hour mark, substitute Raúl Jimenez was forcing mistakes from the U.S. defense, drawing a diving save from the Real Salt Lake keeper on a shot from just outside the penalty area.
By that point, the United States had made its first set of substitutions, changes that included the international debut of Julian Green. Coming on with Landon Donovan and Clarence Goodson, the former Germany youth international prospect made his much-anticipated U.S. debut, taking Brad Davis’s spot along the left wing.
In the 67th minute, just after the U.S. had apparently stymied Mexico’s momentum, the visitors were back even. After a Paul Aguilar shot from the middle of the box hit the base of Rimando’s right post, Pulido gave the U.S. keeper no chance to prevent the game-tying goal, with Gonzalez left appealing for an offside call that would never come.
Each side had chances to claim a winner, with a late header from Gonzalez off a corner kick requiring a block inside the six-yard box. Minutes later, a Mexico chance after a Green slip ended with a cross sailing inches over Juan Valenzuela’s head.
In the 85th minute, Eddie Johnson appeared to have put the U.S. in front, finishing into the right of goal after a through ball Clint Dempsey put him behind the Mexican defense. The play was whistled offside.
Lineups and goals
United States: Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran (DeAndre Yedlin 72′), Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler (Clarence Goodson 59′), Michael Parkhurst; Graham Zusi (Landon Donovan 59′), Kyle Beckerman (Maurice Edu 72′), Michael Bradley, Brad Davis (Julian Green 59′); Clint Dempsey, Chris Wondolowski (Eddie Johnson 64′)
Goals: Bradley (15′), Wondolowski (28′)
Mexico: Moisés Muñoz (Alfredo Talavera 46′); Rogelio Chávez (Paul Aguilar 63′), Juan Valenzuela, Rafael Marquez, Francisco Rodríguez, Miguel Layún (Miguel Ponce 71′); Jesús Zavala (Juan Medina 46′), Isaac Brizuela (Luis Montes 57′), Carlos Peña (Raúl Jiménez 46′); Marco Fabián, Alán Pulido
Goals: Marquez (49′), Pulido (67′)
