The U.S. and Mexico have faced each other in soccer 70 times, turning the rivalry into one of the fiercest and most passionate in the sport.
By that standard, the countries’ Olympic teams are just getting acquainted, meeting Wednesday in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament for just the fourth time in 30 years.
The competitive fires, however, burn no less intensely. In a game with nothing more at stake than pride and seeding in Sunday’s semifinals, for which both teams have already qualified, Mexico rode a first-half goal from Uriel Antuna to a spirited and hard-fought 1-0 win in Guadalajara.