Mexico Nabs 3-2 Victory Over U.S.

Mexico outplayed the USA throughout the whole match.

But it is a dark day for U.S. Soccer and for Technical Director Jurgen Klinsmann. “It was full of intensity”.

Oribe Peralta, F, Mexico – Peralta scored in the 96th minute in the first period of extra time to give Mexico a 2-1 lead. While his senior team couldn’t beat Mexico for the seventh straight time, his under-23 team is in danger of missing the Olympics after losing 2-0 to Honduras.

Klinsmann has always used his personal charisma and optimism to encourage and cajole – the cult of personality around him is, in a lot of ways, part of his mandate.

Things looked grim with Mexico starting off bright and confident in attack, but the Americans were right back in the game when Geoff Cameron lost Rafa Marquez and steered a header off a Michael Bradley free kickinto the left side of the net.

The team had to go for a result last night against a better team, thus, ugly soccer.

But not everyone will be aboard the Klinsmman bandwagon.

The crowd of 93,723 was the second largest to watch the USA team at home. U.S. Soccer still seems committed to Klinsmann and given the amount of resources and relative success that he has had that is understandable. “That’s totally fine”, he told ESPN FC. Good job with that Latin influence, buddy!

“You can have your own impression there”.

Mexico dominated possession throughout the game, by a 64-36 margin, and outshot the US 24-13.

The US answered shortly there after.

And then Aguilar scored a goal for the ages.

Mexican fans have traditionally outnumbered their US counterparts in games between the teams in Southern California. Despite a few questionably-effective substitutions, his 4-3-3 with a rotating hydra head of three venomous strikers and El Tri legend Rafa Marquez holding down the pivot in midfield proved to be a masterstroke.

And how dramatic extra time proved to be, with two wonderfully opportunistic finishes from both sides looking to send us into a penalty shootout, only for Aguilar to meet a spinning, dropping ball with the sweetest of volleys across Brad Guzan to win the game.

Paul Aguilar is all smiles after scoring winning goal in the 118th minute at the sold-out Rose Bowl.

Aguilar finally ended the back-and-forth two minutes before the teams would have gone to penalty kicks, taking a pass from Jimenez and driving a right-footed blast into the net from about 15 yards out. Yedlin assisted on Wood’s equalizer in the 109th minute.

Bobby Wood nearly played the hero again in extra time, but Paul Aguilar and Mexico had other ideas in the one-game CONCACAF Cup playoff for a berth in Russian Federation 2017.

El Tri, the more aggressive side throughout the opening half, continued to apply the pressure after intermission.

Late sub Bobby Wood, who has made a habit of scoring big goals for the United States, having scored against both Germany and Holland in recent friendlies, leveled the affair in the 108th minute.

After a frenetic start, Javier Hernandez combined with Peralta and scuffed his shot past United States of America goalkeeper Guzan for his 42nd worldwide goal. The United States made an impressive run in the 2009 Confederations Cup before falling in the final to Spain. S.in extra time, 2-1.