da casino: GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from a dominant, yet chaotic, Nations League semifinal
da imperador bet: There have been plenty of memorable moments in the rivalry between the U.S. men's national team and Mexico. Big wins, big brawls, big moments… CONCACAF's premier rivalry has always had it all. And the latest edition was no exception. Thursday night's Nations League clash was a dominant 3-0 USMNT win that will be remembered both as a beatdown and a chaotic clash that produced four red cards.
It's to be expected at this point, isn't it? When these two meet, they never fail to produce fireworks. Know who else doesn't fail to produce in these matches? Christian Pulisic, as the Man in the Mirror provided more of the same as he totally dominated El Tri yet again.
Pulisic, handed the captain's armband in this one, has made a habit of doing this to El Tri, as have the USMNT. They own this rivalry these days, and Mexico have failed to find any sort of answers to it.
It wasn't all positive for the U.S., though. Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie were both sent off in the win, although neither will be particularly blamed for the actions that earned them their red cards. Both got a bit too heated in a game that was totally out of control, and both will now miss the finale against Canada.
That's for another day, though, as are the reports that the USMNT have finally found their new (old?) head coach. This win will be one to savor, the latest and best big win in a rivalry that is as one-sided as ever.
With that in mind, GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Thursday's match:
GettyWINNER: Christian Pulisic
This one kicked off a little late for European eyes to watch, but this was a performance that those in charge of clubs in the world's top leagues to watch back.
Pulisic was at his brilliant best in this win, scoring twice while absolutely terrorizing Mexico's backline all game long. There was absolutely nothing El Tri could do to stop him, and that's become something of a theme in this rivalry.
With his two goals, Pulisic now has four career finishes against Mexico in competitive matches, tied for most by any USMNT player alongside Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Aldo Donelli. The famous photo in the last Nations League win, the Man in the Mirror and now this… Mexico fans will be having nightmares about Pulisic.
Executives at Europe's top clubs, though, might be dreaming about what he can do for their team. Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Manchester United, Newcastle and plenty others have been linked to Pulisic, who just showed exactly what he can do when given the chance.
When Pulisic puts on that national team jersey, he morphs into a better, more confident player. If he can ever find that for his club, look out.
Advertisement@GettyLOSER: Diego Cocca
After just four months, Diego Cocca's time as Mexico manager may be coming to an end.
It'll be tough for him to survive this one as he was already under pressure heading into this Nations League clash. And, under the weight of that pressure, Mexico were absolutely battered by their biggest rival, losing in embarrassing fashion.
Not all of that is on Cocca. Plenty of blame should go towards the federation, a key reason why this team is stagnating. Blame should also go to the players, who were played off the pitch, and the fans, who have unrealistic expectations of this team and frequently turn occasions like this ugly when things don't go their way.
But Cocca, like many Mexico managers before him, is the one that will potentially pay for the team's failures. It may not happen right away, but that's the way this is trending. Tactically, he just isn't the right fit, and this isn't a federation that waits for that to sort itself out.
Whoever's up next, good luck. This is a team in turmoil, no matter who takes charge.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Ricardo Pepi
While all of the attention was on the player that started ahead of him, Pepi was the striker that got the goal.
Pepi came off the bench to replace Folarin Balogun who, moments earlier, had been welcomed to CONCACAF by a Cesar Montes hatchet job. It was a relatively quiet game for Balogun otherwise, who didn't quite get enough touches to make a real impact.
It didn't take Pepi many touches to make his impact, as he combined with Sergino Dest to make the score 3-0. It was a fantastic finish for the striker, one no doubt aided by the confidence that comes from a strong season on loan at FC Groningen.
Pepi has been totally overshadowed by Balogun, which can be expected, but that doesn't mean he has to be content playing second-fiddle. Pepi, too, scored double-digit goals this season. He also was once hailed as the striker of the future.
He very much remains in that race, even if Balogun may be the guy. At just 20 years old, Pepi still has plenty of growing to do, but this performance showed that he already has done plenty of growing since being left off of that World Cup roster.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest
It sucks to have to put them here because both were actually pretty good on the day. Dest, in particular, was fantastic after spending the last six months not playing. He played just about a perfect game.
But they have to be here, simply because this will be the end of their Nations League campaigns. They won't play a part in the final and that, ultimately, hurts the USMNT.
Both McKennie and Dest were handed straight red cards, meaning they'll be out for the upcoming finale against Canada. Two starters, two key players, will not be available for selection.
If you isolate the actual scenario from the consequences, McKennie really can't be blamed for a red card. He was sent off for standing up for his teammate. He was grabbed, pushed and had his jersey ripped. There's a fine line between helping your teammate and brawling, and McKennie got caught just a bit too far on the wrong side of it. Fans and teammates will be fine with that.
Dest's dismissal, meanwhile, was somewhat avoidable. It was just an old-school pushing match in a game that was totally out of hand. It's one that, as hard is it may be, you simply have to walk away from. Mexico had nothing left to play for, and they were able to take Dest down with them.
Canada, on the other side, will be laughing. They just watched Sunday's opponents brawl with their biggest rivals and lose two key players in the process. Canada, meanwhile, had a relatively comfortable win over Panama, too, giving them a bit of confidence after obviously playing well against the U.S. in World Cup qualifying.
The two red cards put a slight damper on an otherwise-perfect night, and now we'll see how it impacts Sunday's finale.