GLENDALE, Ariz. – “There’s going to be a little war on the field.”
That was Sergino Dest’s forecast for Saturday night’s clash between the United States men’s national team and Mexico. With a second-half scuffle that followed El Tri’s Mateo Chavez earning a red card, the match delivered on Dest’s prediction.
For the U.S., though, a 3-0 victory over Mexico delivered on so much more. Cavan Sullivan became the youngest goalscorer in program history with his chip in the second period, while virtually all of the young players that Mauricio Pochettino entrusted with minutes in the United States’ most contentious rivalry rewarded him with bright performances. While the scoreline perhaps flattered the USMNT given Mexico's barrage of game-changing mistakes (a slap-induced sending off, sloppy back passes, and more errors still!), there's little doubt that Pochettino's outfit was the better one.
From State Farm Stadium, Joe Lowery and Sanjay Sujanthakumar tackle the most important questions following the USMNT’s win with Mexico.
Which young players impressed?
Lowery: Is all of them an acceptable answer? Because, if so, I’d like to say all of them.
Like the U.S.’s first game of this camp against Peru, manager Mauricio Pochettino opted for a lineup featuring three fresh faces. Against Mexico, those newbies were Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, and Diego Kochen.
I’ll let Sanjay do a lot of the heavy lifting here, but I’ll say this about the two newcomers in the outfield who got the start on Saturday:
- Sullivan was the best player on the field in the second half. Truly. He was borderline unplayable and his goal sure feels like one that will serve as the lede for plenty of long-form pieces about the teenager’s rise to stardom. This kid just turned 17 earlier this week. He's different. And he’s ready.
- Hall works hard. He scored a goal in this one because he works hard to get into the right spots, and when that happens, fortunate bounces tend to come your way. But the 18-year-old has something to offer on the ball, too. He pulled off some slick passes against Mexico.
