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USA vs. Mexico, International Friendly: Final Score 3-0 as Yanks Grind Out a Result

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7 years ago

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The United States Women’s National Team wasn’t convincing on a hot and frustrating day at Red Bull Arena, but the Yanks did just enough to get past Mexico, 3-0. Tobin Heath, Mallory Pugh, and Christen Press provided the offense on a day when missed opportunities combined with good goalkeeping to keep the U.S. from ever blowing the match wide open.

Although it wasn’t a win that will inspire confidence heading into the World Cup in France, and the U.S. did pick up a few minor knocks, the team will head to the world’s biggest stage riding a 7-1-2 record in 2019 and improve to 36-1-1 in the all-time series against Mexico.

Aside from the lack of Lindsey Horan, it was an expected full-strength Starting XI from Jill Ellis, with Orlando Pride striker Alex Morgan up top wearing the captain’s armband. Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer reported that a team spokesman said the team is “managing Horan’s training load,” as the Portland midfielder recently returned from injury.

The United States wasted no time in getting on the attack, but the first half was an exercise in frustration rather than a confidence builder. Sam Mewis made a great run down the left in the second minute but she hit her cross for a wide-open Heath too hard. Heath — playing in her 150th international match — then hit a volley attempt poorly a minute later from well inside the box.

Megan Rapinoe’s chip attempt just seconds into the fourth minute was tipped away at the last instant by goalkeeper Cecilia Santiago. Morgan was caught just a half yard offside in the sixth minute or Rose Lavelle would have put her in behind the defense as the Yanks continued to pound on the door.

Lavelle sent Heath into the box only to see the Portland Thorns striker have trouble digging the ball out of her feet and then dance with the ball a bit before losing it. Lavelle then went for goal herself from distance in the eighth minute but hit her shot right at Santiago.

The breakthrough came in the 11th minute on a horror show of a mistake by Santiago. The goalkeeper tried to play out of the back to defender Rebeca Bernal but the communication was missing and the ball skipped straight to Heath, who dribbled into the area and smashed in her 11th goal in her last 15 matches for the U.S. to make it 1-0.

Ironically, the miscue served to settle Mexico down and the visitors had a lot more of the ball and surrendered no scoring chances over the next 17 minutes. The U.S. had a few chances to get Morgan in behind during that stretch but she was either offside or the pass was too heavy on those occasions.

Lavelle finally got the next shot on target in the 28th minute, firing an easy one for Santiago to handle from about 25 yards out. Morgan then should have doubled the lead in the 29th. Crystal Dunn sent a perfect cross to her right in front of goal but somehow Morgan failed to make decent contact with the ball and it ended up behind her. She picked up a knock on the play but returned to the game moments later. She was occasionally limping at times, but continued to play until halftime.

Heath missed badly in the 33rd minute as the USWNT continued to waste opportunities. With both time and space she tried to hit a shot with power and perhaps was fortunate not to miss the ball entirely as it skipped well wide of goal. The frustrating half got worse in the 35th minute when Morgan was played in behind the defense and struck it with her favored left foot, only to see Santiago stick out her right leg and save it.

Rapinoe fired a free kick over the bar from a decent spot on the left in the 39th minute. Santiago made a fantastic save to deny Dunn in the 44th minute on a powerful header and an even better one to rob Dunn blind in first-half stoppage time off a corner kick scramble.

The USWNT took only a 1-0 lead into the break despite a plethora of good chances. Santiago finished the first half with six saves to keep her team in the match.

Ellis made several changes at halftime, inserting Carli Lloyd, Horan, Press, Allie Long, and Pugh into the match for Rapinoe, Morgan, Dunn, Lavelle, and Becky Sauerbrunn. Julie Ertz dropped out of the midfield and into the center back role for Sauerbrunn and Heath surprisingly moved to left back before eventually subbing off for Emily Sonnett.

Lloyd wasted no time getting a scoring chance. Horan sent her into the area and the captain rounded Santiago before sliding a shot on frame. The defense was able to clear it just before it crossed the goal line in the 48th minute to keep it at 1-0.

Mexico finally got a half a chance in the 51st minute with a ball into the area for Kiana Palacios, but the striker missed the bouncing ball and the chance disappeared. The U.S. then had to deal with a corner after a wayward pass out of the back resulted in a Mexico shot that was blocked out over the line but Alyssa Naeher and Kelley O’Hara combined to clear the danger.

The lack of sharpness continued for the U.S. in the 56th minute with a Horan header off frame and again in the 58th minute with Mewis slicing a shot badly after a nice buildup.

Lloyd put the ball in the net in the 67th minute but she was a good yard offside when the pass was played in and it remained just a one-goal match.

Horan had a decent shot with her right foot in the 73rd minute but could only watch Santiago again get down to make the save.

The lead finally grew in the 73rd minute. Lloyd was sent down the left channel on a deflected pass forward from the back and carried it with pace into the area, eventually getting into the six-yard box and sending it across the face of goal. The ball hit either Pugh or Mexican midfielder Yamilé Franco last and bundled over the line. Pugh was credited with the score and the U.S. finally led 2-0.

O’Hara had a look at goal in the 78th but her header missed badly off a good cross. Pugh trickled a shot wide in the 81st off a Lloyd cross that was a bit off line and took her further from goal. Mewis sent a rising drive just over the bar and perhaps a bit wide two minutes later.

Press scored the USWNT’s most convincing goal of the day to finish some good buildup play. She lost defender Arianna Romero with a nice turn and by switching to her left foot, then slammed a strike into the bottom right corner past a diving Santiago to make it 3-0 in the 88th minute.

From there, the U.S. just needed to see off the few minutes of remaining time and closed out the match.

What remains to be seen is the severity of the knock that Morgan suffered in the first half, but it’s a good sign that she continued and seemed to still have good pace. Trainers also came on for Naeher and Ertz in the second half, but those seemed to be nothing more serious than a cramp and a bloody nose, respectively.

Orlando Pride stars Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger were unused subs.

That’ll do it for the pre-World Cup schedule. The next time the USWNT plays, it will be in France in group play against Thailand on June 11 at 3 p.m. ET.

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Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 144: Gotham Rewind, Seattle Preview, and More

The Pride finished their home schedule with a loss to Gotham and hope to finish their road schedule with a win in Seattle.

Published

1 week ago

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October 28, 2026

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Image of Solai Washington running onto a ball behind the Gotham defense.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride tried to send their fans home happy in their regular-season home finale, but despite an impressive overall performance against the league leaders, the Pride wasted numerous chances in front of goal and paid for two big mistakes at the back in what ultimately ended as a 2-1 loss in a season filled with far too many defeats. Solai Washington did so many things well, but despite a month’s worth of chances, she could only muster one goal. Still, it was a promising outing albeit in a developing story that won’t continue much longer this year.

We discuss the key plays, players, and moments, look back at our score predictions from last week, and select our Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Marta, the reasons for the Pride’s struggles in 2026, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we look ahead to Sunday’s season finale at the Seattle Reign. The Pride opened their 2026 season with a home loss to the Reign but would like to close it with a road win over Seattle to enter the off-season on a positive note. It won’t be easy, as the Reign are clinging to the last playoff spot and trying to catch rival Portland as multiple teams are trying to catch them. We look at Orlando’s attempt to play spoiler, check back on the series history, compare the teams’ positions in the table, provide our key matchups, and more.

Here’s how Episode 144 went down:

0:15 – The Pride finished their home schedule with a good performance but another poor result against the league’s top team.

20:07 – Our mailbagbox has questions about the GOAT.

38:26 – Seattle was the first 2026 opponent and will be the last 2026 opponent. We preview for the last time this season.

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Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 140: Bay FC Rewind, San Diego Preview, and More

The Pride keep their playoff hopes alive by eliminating Bay FC but things get tougher with San Diego visiting Friday.

Published

1 month ago

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September 30, 2026

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Image of Jacquie Ovalle dribbling toward the Bay FC defense.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride remained perfect on the road against Bay FC with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Deuces were wild, as Haley McCutcheon, who wears jersey No. 2, scored in the second minute of both halves, and her two goals in California gave the midfielder her second brace of both the 2026 NWSL season and her career. Barbra Banda figured heavily in pulling defenders out of position on two of the three Orlando goals and assisted on Jacquie Ovalle’s right-footed thunderbolt in stoppage time to put the game away. But make no mistake, it’s not as if the Pride played well, turning the ball over often and conceding 28 shot attempts to the hosts.

We break down a road win that may have been more exhausting to watch than to play in (although I wouldn’t bet on it), check back on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Haley McCutcheon, where to most strongly place the blame for the Pride’s disappointing season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we looked ahead to Friday, when Orlando will host San Diego Wave FC, looking to both complete a season sweep and to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups for the contest, and make our predictions for the final score.

Here’s how Episode 140 went down:

0:15 – The Pride improved to 2-1-1 under Yolanda Thomas, but a lot of good Cosette Morche saves were required to get that second win.

20:00- The mailbagbox asks us to play the blame game.

33:36 – The Pride continue to face California-based competition, but Friday’s opponent is much higher in the table than Sunday’s was.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.

Published

4 months ago

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July 22, 2026

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Image of Braian Ojeda taking a shot in a friendly against FC Dallas.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.

The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.

The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.

Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.

The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.

The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.

In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.

The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.

Overview

The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).

Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.

But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.

Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).

The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.

To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.

The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer

San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.

Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.

Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.

Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.

Forwards: Preston Judd.

Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10:30 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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