Mexico's superiority in football against the USMNT was undoubted for many years, but with the turn of the century, things changed for the Stars and Stripes.
The showdown between CONCACAF's giants in a World Cup seemed as the perfect opportunity for Mexico to reach the Quarter final-stage of the tournament for the first time away from their home, considering that El Tri had dominated their Group with wins against Croatia and Ecuador, while conceding a late draw against Italy.
On the other side of the pitch, Bruce Arena's men had beaten Portugal in the tournament's opener, drew their second match against co-hosts South Korea, and ended up losing their final match of the first round against Poland. The USMNT struggled, but made it to the KO stage after a disappointing last-placed finish in the previous World Cup.
Here's how the two teams lined up for the crucial match held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on June 17, 2002.
Tale of the tape
The game kicked off with a bang, with Mexico trying to dominate from the beginning and the USMNT struggling due to the absences of Jeff Agoos and Frankie Hejduk. After 8 minutes, Brian Mc Bride drilled a loose ball into the back of Mexico's net, creating the perfect scenario for Bruce Arena's men.
Mexico tried, but talented playmaker Cuauhtémoc Blanco was well guarded by Claudio Reyna and Co. Brad Friedel cooperated with a couple of key saves when the game was still 1-0, setting the scene for a crucial counter attack.
Just after the 65-minute mark, John O'Brien sent a long ball to the left flank. Eddie Lewis dribbled past a defender and sent a clinical cross inside Mexico's box. Landon Donovan was there to tap the ball in with his head, making it almost impossible for El Tri to bounce back.
Mexico lost the plot completely. Coach Javier Aguirre decided to use his last substitution as an homage for one of his captains when there was still hope to recover, and legendary defender Rafa Márquez -making his World Cup debut back then- decided to vent his frustration by kicking Cobi Jones and earning a red card as time expired.
Mexico's shocking elimination caused Aguirre to step down as coach, while some players never returned to defend El Tri. On the other hand, it would be the beginning of a very successful campaign for Bruce Arena as coach, which would see him lead the USMNT to another World Cup four years later.
Maybe this wasn't the first win for the Stars and Stripes against Mexico, but it surely represents the most painful memory for El Tri's supporters when looking back at their recent eliminations from the global tournament, and eventually proved that the growth of football in the U.S. demanded them to respect their opponents.
Reactions
"It's a great day for US Soccer. The gap has closed considerably" between the United States and world soccer's established powers." - USMNT's coach, Bruce Arena.
"We usually beat them so to lose was a big deal, especially because it was a World Cup game. To me, the rivalry between Mexico and the USA started from that moment. That’s when it really intensified to what we see today.” - Mexico's coach, Javier Aguirre.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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