It was the retort seen ’round the world, and its origin lay, at least in part, with a player who was more comfortable letting a high-profile teammate send the message.
Guillermo Ochoa had spoken, and the U.S. men’s national team was itching to respond. During the buildup to November’s World Cup qualifier, Mexico’s veteran goalkeeper claimed that El Tri remained the Americans’ primary focus and measuring stick even after two consecutive defeats.
“Mexico has been that mirror in which they [the U.S.] want to see themselves and reflect, what they want to copy,” Ochoa said.
The Americans, who had already won the Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League finals, took offense.