There is no such thing as a meaningless match between the U.S. and Mexican men’s national soccer teams. Sure, there are inconsequential affairs, such as Wednesday’s B-level friendly that fell at an awkward time on the calendar and, consequently, lacked European-based firepower.
The primary purpose of jamming the match into a random weeknight between busy weekends for players from both countries was money. An announced crowd of 55,730 turned out in suburban Phoenix for the 75th meeting between these sworn soccer enemies.
Even with nothing tangible at stake, the intensity, the animosity, the bite remains unlike other friendlies on the U.