Mexico looks to protect Azteca fortress vs. USA in World Cup qualifier
Mexico has cruised through the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Hexagonal thus far, and it can make another big statement Sunday night against its hated rival.
El Tri welcomes the U.S. men's national team to the vaunted Estadio Azteca for the second and final meeting in the Hex (8:30 p.m. ET; FS1, Univision), looking to complete the sweep after a curse-breaking win in Columbus in November. The USA has won just once all-time at Azteca (1-8-2), in a 2012 friendly, though it did secure a 0-0 draw in 2014 World Cup qualifying.
The Americans will be hoping for more good fortune at Azteca leaning on 18-year-old Christian Pulisic, whose two goals lead the U.S. to a 2-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday. One of the more experienced Americans, Clint Dempsey, could make history Sunday, as he enters the match a goal shy of Landon Donovan's all-time USMNT record (57). Matching (or passing) the mark could make for a rare success in Mexico City for the Americans, who have steadied their World Cup qualifying quest with seven points in the last three matches.
Mexico, meanwhile, is well on its way to Russia with a 4-0-1 mark and 13 points halfway through the Hex, and can take another big step while thwarting its border enemy on home soil.
Stay tuned here for updates and highlights of goals and key plays throughout the qualifier.
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Here are the rosters for both teams:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)
GOALKEEPERS: Rodolfo Cota (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (Granada), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)
DEFENDERS: Oswaldo Alanís (Guadalajara), Jesús Dueñas (Tigres), Héctor Moreno (PSV Eindhoven), Diego Reyes (Espanyol), Luis Reyes (Atlas), Carlos Salcedo (Fiorentina)
MIDFIELDERS: Javier Aquino (Tigres), Jonathan Dos Santos (Villarreal), Marco Fabián (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jesùs Gallardo (Pumas UNAM), Héctor Herrera (Porto), Jesús Molina (Monterrey), Orbelín Pineda (Guadalajara)
FORWARDS: Jesús Manuel Corona (Porto),Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy) Javier Hernández (Bayer Leverkusen), Raúl Jiménez (Benfica), Hirving Lozano (Pachuca), Oribe Peralta (América), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad)
