Mexico vs. USMNT
2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying – Final Round - Match No. 12
March 24, 2022
Estadio Azteca; Mexico City, Mexico
Pre-Game Coverage: 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ // 9:30 p.m. ET on Univision and TUDN
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET on Univision, TUDN, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
Social Media: @USMNT on Twitter and Instagram; U.S. Soccer on Facebook , The U.S. Soccer App
Today’s USMNT Starting XI at Mexico: 1-Zack Steffen, 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 4-Tyler Adams (capt.), 5-Antonee Robinson, 6-Yunus Musah, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 10-Christian Pulisic, 12-Miles Robinson, 21-Tim Weah, 23-Kellyn Acosta
Substitutes: 18-Ethan Horvath, 7-Paul Arriola, 8-Cristian Roldan, 11-Gio Reyna, 13-Jordan Morris, 14-Luca de la Torre, 15-Aaron Long, 16-George Bello, 17-Jordan Pefok, 19-James Sands, 20-Jesús Ferreira, 22-Erik Palmer-Brown
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MEXICO
- USMNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): DeAndre Yedlin (72), Kellyn Acosta (49), Christian Pulisic (46), Zack Steffen (27), Walker Zimmerman (26), Tyler Adams (25), Antonee Robinson (23), Tim Weah (21), Miles Robinson (18), Yunus Musah (14), Ricardo Pepi (10)
- USMNT Starting XI WCQ Cap Numbers (including this match): Christian Pulisic (21), DeAndre Yedlin (18), Kellyn Acosta (17), Tyler Adams (11), Antonee Robinson (11), Miles Robinson (9), Ricardo Pepi (9), Walker Zimmerman, (8), Tim Weah (8), Yunus Musah (8), Zack Steffen (4)
- Today’s Starting XI has an average age of 24 years, 136 days.
- The USMNT lineup averages 29 caps and 16 appearances in official competition.
- Nine of 11 starters also began the USMNT’s 2-0 win against Mexico on Nov. 12, 2021, in Cincinnati. The other two starters, Kellyn Acosta and Christian Pulisic, were both substitutes in that match.
- Six players started the 3-0 win against Honduras on Feb. 2 in St. Paul, Minn.: Kellyn Acosta, Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Tim Weah and Walker Zimmerman.
- Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson will earn their 11th WCQ appearances tonight, moving into a tie with Brenden Aaronson for the team lead during the 2022 qualifying cycle.
- Kellyn Acosta, Christian Pulisic and DeAndre Yedlin each start their second World Cup Qualifying match at Azteca. The trio were part of the lineup in the USMNT’s last visit to Mexico City, a 1-1 draw with El Trí in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying on June 11, 2017. Substitute Paul Arriola also appeared in that match.
- Tyler Adams captains the USMNT for the eighth time tonight. The team is 4-1-2 when Adams wears the armband.
- The most experienced player in the Starting XI, DeAndre Yedlin returns to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 16, 2021 at Jamaica.
- Making his 21st WCQ appearance, Pulisic moves into a tie with John Harkes, Eddie Lewis and Oguchi Onyewu for 17th on the USMNT’s qualifying appearances list.
- The son of Mexican parents, striker Ricardo Pepi earns his 10th international cap at Estadio Azteca tonight. At 19 years, 74 days, Pepi is the fourth youngest player to reach double-digit appearances for the USMNT, following Christian Pulisic (18 years, 54 days; Nov. 11, 2016 vs. Mexico), Juan Agudelo (18 years, 214 days; June 25, 2011) and Yunus Musah (18 years, 348 days; Nov. 12, 2021 vs. Mexico).
- Starters Tyler Adams, Zack Steffen, Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin and substitute Jordan Pefok are all on caution watch. Should any of them receive a yellow card tonight, they will serve a one-game suspension during Sunday’s match against Panama.
- Christian Pulisic has found the back of the net in each of his last two appearances against Mexico, scoring the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 3-2 extra time victory in the Concacaf Nations League Final on June 6, 2021. He followed that up by putting the exclamation point on the 2-0 qualifying win on Nov. 16, 2021 in Cincinnati.
- Miles Robinson nodded home the winner in the 1-0 win against Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup Final on Aug. 1, 2021 in Las Vegas.
- Tyler Adams scored his first international goal against El Trí in the 1-0 friendly win on Sept. 11, 2018 in Nashville.
- Goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defender Reggie Cannon and midfielder Gianluca Busio did not dress for tonight’s match. Teams are allowed five substitutions in three different moments.
- The USA is 22-36-15 all-time against Mexico, but holds a 17-9-6 advantage since 2000.
- The USMNT is 0-13-3 in away World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and 0-5-3 in qualifiers played at Azteca.
- Mario Escobar of Guatemala is the referee for tonight’s match. He previously officiated the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup Final between the USA and Mexico.
