USA vs. Mexico Live Stream, TV Channel: How to Watch Friendly
The U.S. Men's National team renews their rivalry with Mexico yet again on Friday night in New Jersey, aiming for a better result than their previous encounter in the Gold Cup Final. Neither team has played since Mexico's 1–0 triumph, and while the game might be a friendly, with USA-Mexico it always means more.
How to Watch USMNT vs. Mexico:
Date: Friday, September 6
Time: 9:00 PM ET
TV Channel: FS1, Univision, TUDN
Live Stream: You can stream the match on fuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has had two months to ponder his team's disappointing end to an up-and-down Gold Cup campaign. Sure, his team ticked off five wins in five matches on their march to the final, but performances ranged from dominant against Trinidad and Tobago to listless against Curaçao. The final was no different. Moments of brilliance from the likes of Christian Pulisic and Jozy Altidore were overshadowed by long periods of ball-chasing by the US and missed opportunities by Mexico. Questionable personnel decisions came to the fore, and the USA had seemingly no response to El Tri's in-game adjustments.
The USMNT have a bit more depth this go-around, and fans are eager to see how Berhalter puts the pieces together. The biggest buzz has been around Ajax's Sergino Dest, who at 18 years old has already started a Champions League match. The defender has the flexibility to play on the right–his preferred position–or the left, which is where the U.S. lacks depth. In attack, the USMNT are without Jozy Altidore, who was an unquestionable catalyst in the team's best attacking sequences in the Gold Cup Final.
On the other side of the ball, Mexico should be even stronger than their Gold Cup trophy-winning squad. Hirving Lozano is back after completing a move to Napoli, Jesús "Tecatito" Corona was called in from Porto, and Raúl Jiménez has already netted two goals for Wolves in the English Premier League. To anchor that fearsome front line, midfielder Hector Herrera has been called in from Atlético Madrid and defensive rock Miguel Layún is back in the fold after a torrid start to the Liga MX season with Monterrey.
By no means will this be an easy match for the U.S. given the talent Tata Martino's squad features from front to back. And while experimentation is necessary–Berhalter needs to find his best lineup ahead of World Cup Qualification–an underwhelming performance against rivals would be difficult to swallow, and could even damage team morale. The coach has demonstrated tactical acumen that can allow the USMNT to compete with any opponent, but this time, he'll have to outsmart his equally capable counterpart.