Mexico ended a seven-game winless streak against the United States with a 2-0 victory in a friendly match held at Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium on October 15.

Raúl Jiménez, who plays for Fulham in the English Premier League, opened the scoring with a superb 25-yard free kick in the 22nd minute. César Huerta added a second goal just five minutes into the second half.

With the United States missing several key players, Mexico dominated the game. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, in only his second match in charge, admitted that Mexico had been the better team. Pochettino had won his debut game as coach the previous Saturday against Panama.

The match was a sell-out, and the large crowd led to some spectators having difficulty reaching their seats in time for kickoff.

However, the night was marred by homophobic chants from sections of the crowd whenever the U.S. goalkeeper took a goal kick. While FIFA allows referees to suspend matches or take teams off the field in such instances, Costa Rican referee Keylor Herrera permitted play to continue.

Despite efforts by the Mexican Federation to eradicate the offensive chant, it persists, with some fans wrongly defending it as a cultural tradition. FIFA’s disciplinary code includes sanctions for discriminatory behavior, such as fines, matches played behind closed doors, points deductions, and even expulsion from tournaments.

The Mexican Federation is determined to eliminate this behavior ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada, when global attention will be on the country.

Another blemish on the night was the booing of the U.S. national anthem by fans, a practice commonly heard at international matches, especially in Europe, though it typically goes unsanctioned by FIFA.