I admit I was expecting Mexico to win this game. Were Klinsmann still at the helm, they would have. But Arena organized these guys superbly, and boy did they deliver on defense. Two excellent strikes in the first half set the stage for a high-energy affair that was a good spectacle. Guzan always makes me nervous, but he was fine tonight. I was surprised DaMarcus Beasley was still playing anywhere, let alone on the national team, but I don't follow MLS closely. He was good! The team selection worked really well. Pulisic seemed like more of a decoy than anything else; he was the danger man the Mexicans had to follow around and mark out. It's no surprise that Mexico had most of the ball and most of the chances. They couldn't put them away, though, and the result was just about fair.
The other two games in the group are on Tuesday. I'm hoping for a draw between Panama and Honduras. Costa Rica should beat T&T easily. It's looking pretty good: we play Costa Rica and Panama at home, and I like our chances for three points at Honduras and T&T. Confidence should be flowing through the team now. They were quite good today. Mexico had 76% possession, but just one (of ten) shot on goal--Vela's equalizer. We had two (of seven). Had Mexico finished a bit better, they'd have won, but they didn't, so they deserved just the point. If we play like this anywhere but Azteca, we'll win.
Well done, guys!
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