Raúl Jiménez netted a goal from a free kick in the 22nd minute and assisted César Huerta’s goal in the 49th minute, helping Mexico end a seven-match winless streak against the United States with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday night during Mauricio Pochettino’s second match as head coach of the U.S. team.

Prior to this match, Mexico had suffered five losses and two draws against the U.S., with their last victory being a 3-0 win in September 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The U.S. team, missing nearly a dozen regular players including Christian Pulisic, failed to register any shots in the first half for the first time since an April 2023 friendly against Mexico that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Key absentees for the American squad included defenders Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards, and Cameron Carter-Vickers; midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Luca de la Torre; as well as forwards Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, and Ricardo Pepi.

Defender Mark McKenzie was initially set to start but was replaced by Miles Robinson shortly before kickoff due to left groin soreness.

“Overall, Mexico was slightly better and fully deserved the win,” Pochettino remarked. “For us, this is a process. It was a valuable opportunity for our players to compete in a challenging environment. We can only improve and learn from this experience.”

Jiménez scored his 34th international goal with a curling shot from over 25 yards that went past Matt Turner. He played a crucial role in the second goal, chasing down a through ball, regaining possession after Tim Ream's intervention, and delivering a cross to Huerta.

Huerta then maneuvered around Robinson and found the net from near the penalty spot, marking his third international goal.

Pochettino, who was appointed last month to succeed Gregg Berhalter, had previously guided the Americans to a 2-0 victory over Panama in his debut match on Saturday.

His first competitive fixtures will take place next month in a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, likely against Jamaica. Following that, Pochettino will have just six international windows to prepare before the players report for the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino emphasized the necessity of engaging in more matches of this nature to enhance competitiveness. 

Javier Aguirre achieved his second victory since taking over as Mexico's coach in August, following Jaime Lozano's departure. El Tri had recently drawn 2-2 with the Spanish club Valencia.

Aguirre remarked, "The team recognized their subpar performance in Puebla and was eager to demonstrate their ability to improve."

At Akron Stadium, fans chanted a homophobic slogan that resulted in fines from FIFA, yet Costa Rican referee Keylor Herrera chose not to halt the match.

Andrés Guardado made his 182nd international appearance and received a warm ovation in the 19th minute, marking what he indicated would be his final match for the national team at the age of 38. He was acknowledged by every member of the squad.