The final phase of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region kicks off Friday when the United States and Mexico rekindle one of the fiercest rivalries in international soccer.
Both sides begin their Hexagonal campaigns in a highly anticipated showdown at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, presented by AT&T. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CT on FS1 and Univision as Sporting Kansas City’s Matt Besler and Graham Zusi join the U.S. for its final two matches of 2016.
The Hexagonal features six CONCACAF teams squaring off in a home-and-away, double-round-robin format between November 2016 and October 2017. The top three finishers will punch their ticket to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, while the fourth-place finisher will meet an Asian side in a World Cup playoff one year from now.
Friday’s fixture is entrenched in history: the United States has defeated Mexico at home in each of the last four World Cup cycles, all of which in Columbus by a 2-0 scoreline — inspiring the “Dos a Cero” rally cry among American supporters. Fans from all 50 states will be in attendance Friday at MAPFRE Stadium, with both FS1 and Univision planning extensive coverage around the match.
Dos a Cero — 2-0 wins by USA vs. Mexico since 2000
- Oct. 5, 2000: Los Angeles, CA (Friendly)
- Feb. 28, 2001: Columbus, OH (2002 WC Qualifier)
- June 17, 2002: Jeonju, South Korea (2002 World Cup)
- Sept. 3, 2005: Columbus, OH (2006 WC Qualifier)
- Feb. 7, 2007: Phoenix, AZ (Friendly)
- Feb. 11, 2009: Columbus, OH (2010 WC Qualifier)
- Sept. 10, 2013: Columbus, OH (2014 WC Qualifier)
- April 15, 2015: San Antonio, TX (Friendly)
The newest chapter of the USA-Mexico rivalry pits two teams who haven’t lost since suffering Copa America setbacks in June. The U.S. is 3-0-1 since then, netting 13 goals while conceding just one, while Mexico owns an identical record across four games. With a win on Friday, either the U.S. or Mexico would emerge as early favorites to finish atop the Hexagonal.
U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has assembled a 26-player squad that blends promising youth and battle-tested experience. Besler and Zusi fit into the latter category, combining for 78 caps since 2012.
Besler (37 caps) faces competition for a center back spot alongside John Brooks, Omar Gonzalez and Steve Birnbaum, but showcased his versatility as a makeshift left back during the 2016 Copa America. Besler’s positional flexibility and big-stage exposure — he started four games at the 2014 World Cup and has three starts vs. Mexico — make him a useful defensive asset for Klinsmann, who praised his performance in a 1-1 draw against New Zealand last month.
Likewise, Zusi (41 caps) joins a nine-man midfield corps ripe with competition for playing time. Starlets Christian Pulisic and Julian Green were impressive in recent games against inferior opposition, while 20-year-old Lynden Gooch has made a splash in the English Premier League with Sunderland. But Zusi has more experience under the spotlight, as his 14 World Cup qualifying appearances are fourth most among field players on the current roster. The World Cup veteran made four substitute appearances at Copa America, and with Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan and Jermaine Jones in the fold, he and may be poised for a similar role on Friday night.
The United States has just one loss in its last seven meetings against Mexico dating back to August 2011. The lone setback came when the teams most recently met in the 2015 CONCACAF Cup last October. Mexico emerged 3-2 winners before a crowd of 93,723 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to secure a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Besler played 120 minutes in central defense that night alongside Geoff Cameron, who was omitted from Klinsmann’s squad this time around after sustaining a knee injury with Stoke City.
Mexico is currently the highest-ranked CONCACAF nation in the FIFA world rankings at No. 17 — seven spots ahead of the U.S. Led by head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, El Tri boast a wealth of dangerous attacking options. Prolific frontman Javier Hernandez is one shy of equaling Mexico's all-time record with 46 goals, while Carlos Vela, Raul Jimenez, Jesus Corona, Hirving Lozano and Oribe Peralta are all capable of scoring or creating up top.
Hector Moreno and Diego Reyes are likely to anchor Mexico’s backline, sitting behind a midfield that could feature the likes of Andres Guardado (131 caps), Giovani dos Santos (92 caps) and Hector Herrera (46 caps).
Once the dust settles on Friday’s battle in Columbus, both sides will prepare for road games the following Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT. The U.S. must endure an equally daunting test against Costa Rica at Estadio Nacional in San Jose, while Mexico will visit Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez.
U.S. MNT Hexagonal Schedule
<strong>DATE</strong> |
<strong>OPPONENT</strong> |
<strong>Nov. 11, 2016</strong> |
<strong>vs. Mexico</strong> |
Nov. 15, 2016 |
at Costa Rica |
<strong>March 24, 2017</strong> |
<strong>vs. Honduras</strong> |
March 28, 2017 |
at Panama |
<strong>June 7 or 8, 2017</strong> |
<strong>vs. Trinidad and Tobago</strong> |
June 11 or 12, 2017 |
at Mexico |
<strong>Sept. 1, 2017</strong> |
<strong>vs. Costa Rica</strong> |
Sept. 5, 2017 |
at Honduras |
<strong>Oct. 6, 2017</strong> |
<strong>vs. Panama</strong> |
Oct. 10, 2017 |
at Trinidad and Tobago |
