Brad Friedel gets his first touch of the ball, in the
second minute, as Mexico attack early.
-- GOAL -- 0-1 Brian McBride fired America ahead in their first real attack, after good
work from Claudio Reyna on the right, in the 8th minute.
Mexico continued to pass the ball around well but couldn't
get near enough to the American goal to put Brad Friedel under any real pressure.
To try and open things up and get Jared Borgetti into the game
more, Mexico's Luis Hernández replaced Ramón Morales in the 28th minute.
Brad Friedel held things together in the 35th minute by
punching away one attack, as far as Cuauthémoc Blanco, and flapping away Blanco's return.
Two minutes later, Josh Wolff should have done better than
drill the ball at Oscar Pérez; when he had a clear view of the goal.
Mexico's last wave of attacks came to nothing and they
would have to rethink their strategy for the second-half.
Half-time: Mexico 0 -- United States 1
Mexico were lucky to get a free-kick n the 52nd minute,
that Brad Friedel pushed onto the bar.
Mexico were putting America under sustained pressure and
should have been awarded a penalty for handball, in the 55th minute.
-- GOAL -- 0-2
Just as Mexico seemed to be getting back into the game, Landon Donovan
headed in Eddie Lewis' perfect cross from the left, in the 65th minute.
A minute later, Luis Hernández was booked for diving in
search of a penalty.
Eight yellow cards were handed out in this second half,
bringing the total to ten yellow cards with five minutes still to play.
Then Mexico's captain, Rafael Márquez, let his side down by head-butting Cobi Jones with
two minutes to go.
