Paul Aguilar Scores Stunning Volley Against USA

Oribe Peralta scored a tiebreaking goal in the sixth minute of extra time for Mexico, but Bobby Wood dramatically evened it 12 minutes later for the Americans, who lost to Mexico for the first time in seven games under Klinsmann. Javier Hernandez scored an early goal for Mexico, which beat the US for the first time since the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. But now, after the terrible Gold Cup, Saturday’s bad loss and the U.S. Under-23 team’s failure to secure a berth in the Olympics (for now), it is growing tougher and tougher to defend Klinsmann’s tenure as head coach and technical director. The two exchanged words, shoves and had to be separated by a mass of players from both teams that almost escalated the confrontation.

But not everyone will be aboard the Klinsmman bandwagon. American soccer fans have listened to a steady stream of trash for four years, and they’re really exhausted of it. Here’s a selection of reactions to his press conference after Saturday’s Mexico loss, including my own.

Last week, Klinsmann seemed to be everywhere.

“We’re going to go into World Cup qualifying in November and we have to sit together and discuss things”, Klinsmann said. Good job with that Latin influence, buddy!

“I think that our players can score goals like that”. A scuffle ensued and U.S.-Mexico had truly kicked off.

It took the USA just three minutes to equalize. “But they scored that third goal”.

“They showed a lot, lot of character, they showed tremendous effort and they went all the way through and gave everything they had out their on the field”, Klinsmann said of his team. Is it Klinsmann’s fault that El Tri players have obliterated the invisible wall that used to keep many of Mexico’s top players from making moves to Europe’s top leagues?

Just after the restart Mexico were denied by a fearless save from Brad Guzan, Raul Jimenez jumping on a defensive miscue but the Aston Villa shot-stopper denied El Tri’s No9.

It was a pair of youngsters that brought the US back in the 108 minute.

Aguilar’s goal sends Mexico to Russian Federation as CONCACAF’s representatives in 2017 and piles the pressure on U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who has faced criticism for a string of poor recent results.

After a back and forth second half that saw neither team find the back of the net, the match went into extra time.

The final goal came in the 118th minute of play.

Following a hard period, in which Mexico barely squeaked into the World Cup and cycled through five managers in just two years, its crisis is now over.

Peralta slipped into the middle and banged a loose ball between Cameron’s legs early in extra time, but the US, backed up by Mexico for much of the night, struck back with surprising precision.

“You make maybe one in your life like he did it today”, US midfielder Jermaine Jones said. The Americans were decidedly second best for nearly the entire 120 minutes, apart from a bright spell following Bobby Wood’s unlikely equalizer in extra time. He says he has a plan for the USA too, and so far U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati appears content to give that plan more time.

In the last five minutes of the half, the United States looked the more threatening side as both Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley came close to putting the Stars and Stripes ahead.

Geoff Cameron (7) – Though among the culpable on Mexico’s opener, Cameron was also the most hung out to dry on the play.

Guzan, who was given the start over the returning Tim Howard, provided a scary moment in the 23rd minute, charging off his line to punch a ball into the area, then following through trying to clear the ball with his feet at the edge of the 18.