Category: Mexico

USMNT announces October friendly vs. Mexico in Guadalajara

The teams will meet at the Estadio Akron, one of Mexico’s three World Cup 2026 venues

The U.S. men’s national team has announced it will face Mexico in a friendly on October 15 in Guadalajara.

The match will take place at the Estadio Akron, home to Liga MX power Chivas, and one of the three venues in Mexico hosting matches in the 2026 World Cup.

Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, with the game set to be broadcast on TNT and Max. 

The match looks likely to be the second in charge for Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine and U.S. Soccer reportedly reaching an agreement over a deal to take over as USMNT head coach.

The move hasn’t been announced yet, and ESPN has reported that ex-U.S. under-20 head coach Mikey Varas is set to lead the team as an interim for two September friendlies.

That would make Pochettino’s debut as USMNT head coach an October 12 friendly against Panama in Austin, Texas, which will be followed by a trip to Mexico.

USMNT on record run vs. Mexico

The game in Guadalajara will give the USMNT a chance to build on a program-record run of seven matches unbeaten against El Tri.

The two sides most recently met in March, with the USMNT easily defeating Mexico 2-0 in the Nations League final.

Though the USMNT and Mexico meet on a frequent basis, the occasion rarely happens south of the border.

Of the past 16 meetings between the USMNT and Mexico, only two have been in Mexico: World Cup qualifying matches in 2017 and in 2022, which both ended in draws. The last friendly between the two teams in Mexico was in 2013.

Each team is coming off a disappointing Copa América group-stage exit, with both sacking their managers in the wake of the summer tournament.

Mexico fired Jaime Lozano last month, and later confirmed the appointment of Javier Aguirre for a third stint as head coach.

The USMNT, meanwhile, sacked Gregg Berhalter and now appears on the verge of naming Pochettino as his successor.

[lawrence-related id=80097,79928,80081]

Report: USMNT to face Mexico in Guadalajara in October

It will be a rare meeting between the two rivals that takes place south of the border

The U.S. men’s national team is reportedly heading south of the border for a fall match against Mexico.

According to W Deportes, the USMNT will face El Tri in an October friendly in Guadalajara.

Last month, U.S. Soccer announced three friendlies during the September and October FIFA windows, with the USMNT set to face Canada and New Zealand in September and Panama in October.

In its announcement, the federation said it would confirm one more October match at a later date.

That game will seemingly take place in Mexico, a rare occurrence when it comes to meetings between the two rivals.

Of the past 16 meetings between the USMNT and Mexico, only two have been in Mexico: World Cup qualifying matches in 2017 and in 2022, which both ended in draws. The last friendly between the two teams in Mexico was in 2013.

The two sides most recently met in March, with the USMNT easily defeating Mexico 2-0 in the Nations League final. That victory stretched the USMNT’s unbeaten streak against El Tri to a program-record seven games.

Both teams will enter the October friendly after coaching changes in the wake of disappointing Copa América group-stage exits.

Mexico sacked Jaime Lozano last week and on Monday, confirmed the appointment of Javier Aguirre for a third stint as head coach. El Tri legend Rafa Márquez will serve as his assistant.

The USMNT fired Gregg Berhalter earlier this month, with a new coach yet to be announced.

[lawrence-related id=78461,78390,78191]

Mexico sacks Lozano after early Copa America exit

El Tri is on the lookout for its fourth head coach in less than two years

The Mexico men’s national team is on the lookout for its fourth head coach in less than two years.

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced Tuesday that Jaime Lozano would not continue after El Tri crashed out of the Copa América at the group stage.

Mexico struggled at the tournament in the United States, beating Jamaica in its opener before losing to Venezuela and drawing Ecuador to fall short of the knockout stage.

The FMF said it had offered Lozano the chance to stay on as an assistant coach for two years before reassuming his position as head coach.

Lozano declined that offer.

“Jaime Lozano was offered, along with his coaching staff, a contract until 2030, in which during 2024-2026 they will accompany a more experienced head coach towards our World Cup, and later it would be Jaime himself who would retake the reins of head coach in the 2026-2030 process,” the FMF said in a statement.

“After analyzing the proposal, Jaime Lozano informed us that he doesn’t wish to continue. We respect his decision.”

After Gerardo “Tata” Martino departed following the 2022 World Cup, Mexico hired Diego Cocca as his replacement in February 2023. The Argentine would only last a few months, as he was relieved of his duties following a 3-0 defeat to the U.S. in the 2023 Nations League semifinal.

Lozano then came aboard as an interim, winning the 2023 Gold Cup before being named the head coach on a permanent basis.

But there were always questions over whether the FMF would keep the 45-year-old in charge through a home World Cup in 2026, or go with a more experienced option.

Sure enough, ESPN has reported that Mexico may be about to turn to Javier Aguirre for a third stint in charge of the national team.

Aguirre, 65, led Mexico at both the 2002 and 2010 World Cup, and is now a free agent after departing La Liga side Mallorca at the end of the 2023-24 season.

[lawrence-related id=77027,64569,76604]

Beleaguered Mexico bows out of Copa America with a whimper

It was another disaster for a struggling Mexico side

For a Mexico team that has struggled of late, its draw in Group B of the Copa América looked like a gift.

El Tri dodged any of the traditional South American powers, instead drawing Venezuela and Ecuador — the fifth and sixth-ranked South American teams per Elo — in addition to Jamaica, the lowest-ranked team in the entire Copa aside from Bolivia.

But somehow, even that was too much for Mexico to overcome.

Mexico drew Ecuador 0-0 on Sunday night, confirming its group-stage elimination and plunging an already flagging side even further into crisis.

Over 270 minutes of Copa América action, Mexico managed just one goal — a late Gerardo Arteaga winner against Jamaica that turned out to be the high point of the tournament.

From there, Mexico fell 1-0 to Venezuela and, needing a win to advance against Ecuador, Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano’s side went out with a whimper.

Starting goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagón missed the Copa with injury and defensive midfield linchpin Edson Álvarez was knocked out of the tournament with a hamstring injury suffered early in the opener. But Mexico’s problem wasn’t in defense, as it conceded just once in three games.

Just like its previous two matches, Mexico had its chances against Ecuador, but a lack of cutting edge from its front line proved costly.

In his first tournament leading the line for Mexico, prolific Feyenoord forward Santi Giménez continued his baffling drought at international level. Since his winner in the 2023 Gold Cup final, Giménez has now gone 12 games scoreless for El Tri.

His front-line compatriots like Uriel Antuna, Orbelín Pineda and Julián Quiñones also fell short as Mexico’s lone goal of the Copa was scored by Arteaga, a left back.

After the Ecuador match, Lozano’s brief tenure as Mexico head coach appeared likely to end after another high-profile failure, but he now seems set to stay for at least the time being.

“The project continues,” Mexico national team sporting director Dulio Davino said post-game.

“In two weeks, Jimmy will present us with an evaluation of what happened in the summer … we’ll talk with him about everything we can improve. The areas and opportunities that we have, which are surely many, but there are also positives.”

Whichever coach leads Mexico toward a 2026 World Cup on home soil will have to solve the same issues that derailed his predecessors: a lack of talent playing at the highest levels in Europe, an aging generation of stars that hasn’t been adequately replaced, a domestic league reluctant to play and sell young talent, and players in their prime not living up to their billing.

It will take a major reckoning for this Mexico team to turn things around. Whether the team, and the federation, has the tools to successfully implement a strategy to avoid disaster in 2026 is very much an open question.

[lawrence-related id=76604,75840,75912]

Mexico vs. Ecuador: How to watch 2024 Copa America, TV channel, live stream

It’s all or nothing for Mexico and Ecuador, who both face early elimination from the Copa América

Mexico and Ecuador will be battling for a place in the Copa América quarterfinals on Sunday, in what is effectively a knockout game despite being the group-stage finale for both sides.

Both sides have fared similarly in Group B. Mexico opened the tournament with a decent enough win over Jamaica, but fell 1-0 to Venezuela in a shock result on Wednesday at SoFi Stadium.

Ecuador’s results are nearly a mirror image, with a tournament-opening loss to Venezuela followed up by a 3-1 win over Jamaica.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Mexico vs. Ecuador FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]

With Venezuela assured of one of the group’s two quarterfinal places and Jamaica eliminated, this game in Glendale, Ariz. functions as an elimination match before we get to the knockout rounds.

An Ecuador win will send La Tri through, and could even see Félix Sánchez’s side claim the top spot should Venezuela lose to Jamaica. A draw would also hand Ecuador a place in the quarterfinals thanks to a goal-differential edge over Mexico.

As such, El Tri has to win to stay alive in a tournament it hoped would represent a return to form.

The pressure is always on manager Jaime Lozano and his squad, but it’s hard to imagine Mexico staying the course with the current leadership and player pool if this tournament ends after just three games.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Mexico vs. Ecuador (Copa América)

  • When: Sunday, June 30
  • Where: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FOX (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN, Univision, ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

[lawrence-related id=76717,76604,74141]

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Venezuela loss pushes Mexico to brink of early Copa America exit

El Tri are staring at an early exit despite a relatively easy group draw

Mexico’s Copa América hopes are already on the brink after a 1-0 defeat to Venezuela on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

El Tri began the Copa with an encouraging, yet damaging 1-0 win over Jamaica. Gerardo Arteaga’s late winner was exhilarating, but the victory also saw captain Edson Álvarez go down with a tournament-ending hamstring injury.

Still, there was a sense of optimism for Mexico heading into Wednesday’s game. In 13 games against Venezuela all time, Mexico had never lost, winning 10 of those matches.

Mexican newspaper Record ran a headline ahead of the game that put it succinctly: “Venezuela, I am your father.”

But nothing comes easy of late for this Mexico side, and so it proved again at SoFi Stadium.

The match came down to two penalties, one for each side.

Venezuela striker Salomón Rondón buried his spot kick in the 57th minute after Mexico forward Julián Quiñones had committed a silly foul in the box.

Mexico got a chance to equalize in the 87th minute after a Venezuela handball in the box, but goalkeeper Rafael Romo produced a stunning save on Orbelín Pineda to keep the score at 1-0.

Minutes later, the final whistle blew. La Vinotinto was though, and El Tri was on the verge of crashing out.

In response to the Record cover, Venezuela newspaper Meridiano justifiably took a victory lap the following day.

How can Mexico advance in Copa America?

Defeat to Venezuela leaves Mexico with a simple equation heading into Sunday’s group finale against Ecuador: win or go home.

After losing its opener to Venezuela, Ecuador bounced back with a 3-1 win over Jamaica on Wednesday.

Those results left Ecuador and Mexico level on three points, but Ecuador crucially has a plus-one goal differential while Mexico’s is at zero.

That gives La Tri the first tiebreaker over Mexico, meaning it only needs a tie to advance to the quarterfinals, while Mexico will require a win at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

[lawrence-related id=76604,75840,75289]

Mexico captain Alvarez out for Copa America with hamstring injury

It’s a huge loss for El Tri

Mexico captain Edson Álvarez will miss the remainder of the Copa América with a hamstring injury, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has confirmed.

Álvarez was injured in the first half of his side’s Copa América opener against Jamaica, falling to the turf while sprinting without contact from any player.

The West Ham midfielder exited the pitch in tears as he could hardly put any weight on his left leg. Mexico went on to win the match 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from Gerardo Arteaga.

On Tuesday night, the FMF released a statement confirming Álvarez would be out for the tournament, though it didn’t specify a timeframe for his return.

Álvarez also released a video message confirming his absence for the remainder of the tournament.

“Unfortunately, my participation in Copa America has come to an end,” Álvarez said. “I have no words — the truth is that it is a hard blow for me because I had that dream as much as my teammates have it, but sometimes these things happen in football and I will have to learn and grow from all this.

“But I wanted to let you know that I have made the decision to stay with the team until the end, to support and encourage them, as I always have done. Now it will be my turn off the field. It will also help my rehabilitation and return as soon as possible.”

The loss of Álvarez is a huge blow for El Tri, which relies on the 26-year-old for his leadership and quality on the field. After completing his first season with West Ham, the midfielder has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Mexico is back in action on Wednesday night against Venezuela, before closing out group play against Ecuador on Sunday.

[lawrence-related id=74141,75441,76511]

Venezuela vs. Mexico: Where to watch 2024 Copa America, TV channel, streaming

Victory for either side in this match would book a spot in the quarterfinals

Venezuela and Mexico will square off on Wednesday night as both sides play their second Copa América group-stage match.

Both teams started the tournament with a win, meaning a victory for either side in this match would book a spot in the quarterfinals.

El Tri defeated Jamaica 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Gerardo Arteaga, but captain Edson Álvarez was lost in the first half with an injury that could keep him out the rest of the tournament.

Venezuela opened the Copa with a comeback 2-1 win over Ecuador, taking advantage of a first-half red card from Ecuador forward Enner Valencia.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Venezuela vs. Mexico FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]

Mexico is unbeaten in its last 13 games against Venezuela, winning 10 of those, but La Vinotinto will present a serious test for Jaime Lozano’s side.

Venezuela currently sits fourth in CONMEBOL World Cup qualification with a 2W-3D-1L record, as it looks to qualify for the World Cup for the first time ever.

Mexico will be hoping that a partisan crowd in Los Angeles can help will them to consecutive victories for the first time since the Gold Cup last summer.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Venezuela vs. Mexico (Copa America)

  • When: Wednesday, June 26
  • Where: SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN, Univision, ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

[lawrence-related id=75441,74141,75840]

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Edson Alvarez injury: Mexico captain exits in tears in Copa America opener

El Tri’s captain could be set for a long spell on the sidelines

Mexico captain Edson Álvarez went down with a potentially serious injury during his side’s Copa América opener against Jamaica on Saturday.

With the match scoreless, Álvarez was sprinting back on defense midway through the first half when he fell to the turf without contact from any player.

The West Ham midfielder had to be helped off the field and couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he exited. He was replaced by Luis Romo in the 30th minute.

Álvarez was in tears as he left the field, clearly emotional as his status for the rest of the Copa América appears to be in serious doubt.

Mexico went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from Gerardo Arteaga.

For a Mexico team in one of its worst stretches in some time, losing a player like Álvarez is a killer blow.

The 26-year-old is one of Mexico’s few players to feature regularly at Europe’s highest levels. Álvarez just completed his first Premier League season, and has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United.

“We’re going to wait a couple of days to do some testing on him and to know well what he’s got going on,” head coach Jaime Lozano said after the match.

“He’s extremely important. He’s a leader, he understands the game well. He’s important on the pitch and in the locker room as well. You listen to him talk, he has a way with words and when he speaks you listen. This was a tough blow for all of us.”

Following Saturday’s game, El Tri will face Venezuela on Wednesday and Ecuador on June 30 to close out group play.

Playing surface concerns grow

Álvarez’s non-contact injury will highlight a growing concern at this tournament: quickly installed real grass laid over artificial turf at several stadiums — including NRG Stadium in Houston, where the injury occurred.

Argentina and Canada players complained about a similar surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the tournament opener, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez calling the pitch a “disaster.”

In an interview with The Athletic, U.S. national team midfielder Weston McKennie aired out his own complaints.

“You’re playing on a football field, with laid grass that’s all patchy and it breaks up every step you take. It’s frustrating,” he said.

“If you look at the Euros, they’re all playing on great fields, great grass, football-specific stadiums, soccer-specific stadiums, and you see the quality of the football.

“You can play a 1-2 without wondering if the ball is gonna bounce up before you hit it. You can pass the ball back to the keeper not being afraid that it’s going to bounce over his foot. You see a different type of soccer.”

[lawrence-related id=76217,75840,75912]

Mexico vs. Jamaica: Where to watch 2024 Copa America, TV channel, live stream

Mexico will be under pressure to start Copa América on the right foot

Mexico will be under some pressure to get its journey at the 2024 Copa América moving in the right direction as it kicks off the tournament against Jamaica on Saturday.

The Group B clash at Houston’s NRG Stadium will see two Concacaf sides square off in CONMEBOL’s premier tournament, with both El Tri and the Reggae Boyz holding hopes of a place in the knockout rounds.

Still, Mexico will enter the match needing to calm a troubled fan base. Jaime Lozano’s side has failed to convince in 2024, losing to the U.S. men’s national team, Colombia, Brazil, and Uruguay.

A confident victory against Jamaica is likely the bare minimum required to lower the scrutiny applied to the team by the expectant Mexican media. More importantly, it may be a requirement to head off a possible quarterfinal against Group A favorites Argentina.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Mexico vs. Jamaica FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]

Jamaica’s preparations for the Copa América have been disrupted by an ongoing dispute between star Leon Bailey, coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, and the nation’s federation.

Bailey was named to Jamaica’s 26-man roster even after he had said he wouldn’t be accepting call-ups for the time being. Hours after the Jamaica Football Federation posted a squad list including his name, the Aston Villa man emphasized through his agent that he would not be joining the team for the tournament.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Mexico vs. Jamaica (Copa América)

  • When: Saturday, June 22
  • Where: NRG Stadium (Houston)
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN, Univision, ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

[lawrence-related id=74141,75391,75912]

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.