THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL team played Mexico to a 1-1 draw in a friendly in Glendale, AZ on Wednesday night in front of a pro-Mexican crowd of 55,730. As was to be expected with no meaningful preparation ahead of the game, the play was often disjointed, and players were not on the same page. On the other hand, there still were individual moments, both good and bad, that defined the result.

The U.S. team opened the game well and was clearly looking for opportunities on the counterattack. Jordan Morris was the primary target and the Seattle native did well to get himself in dangerous positions but his final pass was not there in the first half. Similarly, Mexico had most of the possession, but it often lacked purpose.

In the second half, things started to open-up. In the 55^th minute, Mexico opened the scoring not through team play, but through a U.S. national team mistake in possession. With the U.S. in Mexico’s half, Kellyn Acosta hit a bad backpass to Aaron Long. Long lost possession trying to control the errant pass and Uriel Antuna stripped the ball and moved in alone on Sean Johnson and finished with a near-post shot.

The U.S. team gradually picked up their play and began attacking more. In the 81^st minute, the equalizer came, and it started on a counterattack after Mexico’s Carlos Rodriguez hit a shot that rattled the crossbar.

Walker Zimmerman collected the ball in his own box and he fed Sergino Dest. The out-of-favor AC Milan fullback made a great dribble through three defenders in the middle of the field and Mexico’s shape fell apart as a result. Dest hit a short pass to Alan Sonora. The new FC Juarez midfielder had time and space to play a streaking Morris into the final third.

Morris then hit a right-footed pass with the outside of his foot into the box. It forced Mexico into emergency defending and, after a slight deflection, found Jesus Ferreira for an easy finish.

The run from Serg, the ball from JMo, the finish from Jesús. ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/vdrEmXzyrk

— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) April 20, 2023

The whistle sounded 10 minutes later and both teams settled for a 1-1 draw. The teams will next meet on June 15 in Las Vegas in the semifinal of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Here are some thoughts on the USMNT from the Mexico game.

Sloppy, lacked final ball

The United States team didn’t play particularly well in possession. Most of its possessions were usually stopped in the build-up towards a chance. While Ferreira ended up scoring the winning goal, he was one of the biggest culprits of not being able to connect passes in the final third.

The U.S. team also failed to open a second point of attack in the first half. The U.S. team attacked down the right side often. This was typically through Yedlin and Morris. But the U.S. team was not able to get down the left side. Realizing his danger, Dest was man-marked by Mexico, and it was tough to get him involved on his side. As a result, Brandon Vazquez was mostly invisible, and Cade Cowell also was not able to make much of an impact.

A big reason for the improvement in the second half, however, was when the U.S. team changed formation and dropped Sands into the three-man backline with Miazga and Zimmerman. This allowed Dest and Yedlin to push higher and get involved.

Did it happen too late? Perhaps if it was a meaningful game. But this friendly offered such little preparation that Hudson only felt compelled to change the formation once the U.S. fell behind.

Very good defense

It certainly wasn’t all bad for the U.S. team. The 1-1 draw was deserved. But a lot of credit should go to the team for its excellent defensive shape that limited Mexico’s attack. The Mexican goal was a complete individual mistake. But other than that, Mexico was not able to create much from the counterattack, which they love to do.

Transitional defense hasn’t always been great for the U.S. team but against Mexico in this game, whenever the U.S. team lost the ball, it quickly got back into positions to not give Mexico much.

Who Maximized their opportunity?

Not a great deal was learned from this game. For example, Sergino Dest was smooth on the ball, but this has been established for years. Walker Zimmerman was a mature presence in the backline, but this was known. When the game opens up, Jordan Morris can be a fit in getting behind the backline. Again, this is nothing new.

In terms of those who made the most of the opportunity to raise their stock and improve their standing, James Sands particularly stood out. He was tidy in possession, effective in getting the ball forward, and strong defensively to hinder Mexico’s attack.

Defense, speed, and physicality are still a question for Alan Sonora, but his pass to spring Morris forward played a role in the equalizer.

Also, Aidan Morris was pretty good in his 26 minutes on the field. He didn’t create anything very dangerous, but he was useful in possession and in advancing the ball at times.

Player Ratings

The starting XI

Sean Johnson: The Toronto FC goalkeeper made two saves, one of them was a very impressive diving stop on Roberto de la Rosa in the 74^th minute. He wasn’t at fault for Mexico’s goal although he was a little shaky with the ball on a few occasions. Rating: 6.0

DeAndre Yedlin: The Inter Miami fullback had a mixed game. He completed 30/33 of his passes and linked with Jordan Morris well but his crossing was off. Rating: 5.5

Walker Zimmerman: The USMNT mainstay was solid throughout the game and was at the heart of an organized defense. Rating: 7.5

Aaron Long: The new LAFC defender had a tough moment on Mexico’s goal when he was unable to control Acosta’s errant backpass. Most of the fault goes to Acosta but Long could have done better. That moment tarnished was a decent outing up to that point. Rating: 5.0

Sergino Dest: It was a breath of fresh air for Dest to be released to play in this game amidst a lost season on loan at AC Milan. He was man-marked by Mexico, and it was easy to see why they respected him so much. His skills on the ball are still among the best in the player pool (maybe the best). But there was only so long Mexico could contain him. His dribble in his own half pulled Mexico out of shape on the goal. Rating: 8.0

Kellyn Acosta: The LAFC midfielder was the primary culprit for the U.S. goal as his bad backpass put long in a very tough spot. He was at fault for turnovers but occasionally had positive moments, for example when he set up a great Jordan Morris chance in the fifth minute. He also completed 11 balls into the final third, which is a high number. Rating: 5.0

James Sands: The NYCFC defender/midfielder earned the start in the midfield, where he has rarely played well for the U.S. team. Historically, his best outings have been in central defense. But he was tidy with the ball, smart with his passes, and solid defense. He also was smooth when he was moved backward for the final 20 minutes in a formational switch. Rating: 7.0

Jesus Ferreira: Starting the game in a deeper role than normal in the midfield, Ferreira had a mixed game. His passing in the final third often let him down. His runs, however, were effective and often his teammates couldn’t find him. He got into good positions and was rewarded on the equalizer in getting into the right spot. Rating: 6.0

Jordan Morris: Again, another player who was both up and down in this game. There were multiple times when he was able to get past his defender and make a dangerous run with the ball. He should have connected for more chances in the final third but the one time he did, was brilliant and it was on the U.S. goal. Yes, Mexico was able to deflect the pass but it was likely to find Ferreira anyway. The pass also forced Mexico into unsuccessful emergency defending. Rating: 6.5

Cade Cowell: The San Jose teenager struggled to get involved. In his 64 minutes, he had just 13 touches and five completed passes (5/7). Rating: 4.5

Brandon Vazquez: Mexico made a specific effort to contain Vazquez and were successful. Over 64 minutes he had just 15 touches and was 6/7 in passing. While that did help open up others, Vazquez was mostly invisible. Rating: 4.5

The Substitutes

Aidan Morris: The Columbus Crew midfielder and likely Olympic contender was pretty good in possession although was still looking for the dangerous ball. Defensively, he handled the physical side of the game well. Rating: 6.0

Alan Sonora: Like Aidan Morris, he came into the game in the 64^th minute. He struggled with the physical side of the game, losing his share of duels. But when he was set up nicely to make an important pass to Jordan Morris in the build-up to the goal, he executed well. Rating: 6.0

Matt Miazga: Came into the game in the 70^th minute to allow for a formation change of three in the back. He wasn’t asked to do much, but he connected his passes well. Rating: 5.5

Paxton Pomykal: The FC Dallas midfielder came into the game in the 89^th minute to see out the draw. Rating: NR

Caleb Wiley: The highly rated U.S. U-20 fullback made his first cap, but it came so late he didn’t even register a touch.  Rating: NR