The United States absolutely torched rivals Mexico 3-0 on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona, picking up their third win of this international break in the most emphatic way possible. Justin Hall, Cavan Sullivan, and Malik Tillman all found the back of the net, but it was Sullivan’s strike that truly made history: he’s now the youngest-ever goal scorer for the USMNT, smashing Mathis Albert’s record that had only stood for a few days.
Pochettino’s Playbook: Second-Half Domination
Despite a dominant final score, the USMNT had to work for it. They really struggled to hold onto the ball in the first half, but Justin Hall continued his insane start to his international career, grabbing his third goal in three games to give the squad a lead at the break. What a start, right? Mexico was still very much in it. But then, Mauricio Pochettino made some tactical adjustments at halftime, and man, did it ever pay off. El Tri just didn’t bring the pressure after the restart, letting the USMNT take control of possession. That’s when things went wild, with both Sullivan and Tillman capitalizing on some truly “cataclysmic mistakes” from Mexico’s defense. You love to see it when rivals stumble like that.
Kochen Steps Up: Future in Goal Looks Bright
The win wasn’t just about the goals; the individual performances were huge, too. Diego Kochen got the nod in goal over World Cup starter Matt Freese, which was a massive show of faith from Pochettino, and Kochen delivered. He was under serious pressure early on as Mexico came out firing, but he was decisive, smothering a counter-attack chance in the 13th minute. Yeah, he had a nervous moment in the 44th minute, tipping a ball straight to Santiago Gimenez, who somehow missed wide. But before the hour mark, Kochen pulled off a truly sensational save, diving up to his top-left corner to parry away what would’ve been a spectacular goal from Roberto Alvarado. An 8/10 rating for Kochen in his first start is huge. He’s not just believed to be the best goalkeeping prospect in the USMNT pool; he might be a strong option for the team right now. Over on the right, Alex Freeman was a beast, earning an 8/10 himself for his extremely high work rate on both ends of the field, even setting up Gio Reyna to unlock Mexico’s back line.
This win shows some serious promise for the USMNT. With young guns like Sullivan making history and Kochen showing he’s ready for the big stage, the future looks bright. You gotta wonder what this squad can achieve next with talent like this emerging.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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