In yet another USA-Mexico title match, the rivals will face off in the inaugural Concacaf Nations League final at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver after facing tougher-than-expected tests in their respective semifinals.
The U.S. men’s national team struggled to break through against a stubborn Honduras side Thursday, but second-half substitute Jordan Siebatcheu came to the rescue. Less than three months after making his USMNT debut, the 25-year-old scored his first international goal with his 89th-minute header to clinch a spot in the final.
Mexico seemed to have an even rougher time against a Costa Rica side that had won only once from its previous 14 matches entering the semifinal. The two sides played 90 minutes of goalless soccer before longtime Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa ended a grueling round of penalty kicks with a semifinal-winning save.
How to Watch:
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN
Live Stream: You can watch the match on fuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can also view it via Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access).
It’s uncertain whether midfielder Tyler Adams will be fit to start after the RB Leipzig standout missed the 1-0 semifinal win due to a back injury. With his match-winning goal against Mexico in a September 2018 friendly, he is the last American international to score against Mexico. U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter indicated that Adams is fit to play Sunday night, but whether he’ll start remains to be seen.
Berhalter will be looking to break his side of its poor recent form against El Tri. The U.S. has lost three of its last four competitive matches against Mexico going back to 2013, while Mexico has won four of the two sides’ last six meetings, including friendlies. Extending into their time together in MLS, Berhalter is a combined 0-6-1 against Tata Martino-coached sides, though the one draw resulted in a penalty shootout triumph in the playoffs, where current U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen was the hero for Berhalter’s Columbus Crew.
Sports Illustrated may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
More Soccer Coverage:
