When Bruce Arena released the line up for the away qualifier against Mexico, there was a bit of a surprise. Seemingly out of nowhere, the United States was playing a 3-4-3. The team suddenly switched to a back three. The USMNT’s plan was to suffocate Mexico’s attack by clogging up the spaces El Tri wanted to possess the ball in front of goal. And it worked exceedingly well. While they overwhelmingly dominated possession, Mexico was limited to a single shot on target. It was an incredible display of Catenaccio and the result was a point out of one of the most inhospitable stadiums in the world in an intense rivalry match.
The USMNT three man backline
