USA vs Mexico: More Joy for Young Stars and Stripes?
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
Goals, goals, goals
Like a moth to a flame, the USMNT, under Mauricio Pochettino, just cannot stay away from the goals. Whether it’s scoring or conceding, the Stars and Stripes seemingly love those goals, and it's probably safe to say that we'll see no shortage of goals in this USA vs Mexico game.
The international break began with a five-goal game against Peru, with the team due to host in Arizona on Saturday scoring four of those five. Last time out, against Chile, they notched another four, but they also conceded two, keeping the run of super high-scoring games going.
Pochettino’s troops have now been involved in three games on the bounce containing five or more goals, and they’ve either scored four or conceded four in each of those three. They’ve also scored multiple goals in six of their last seven games.
In 2026, eight of the ten games played by the USMNT contained at least three goals, with seven of those eight containing at least four goals. They’ve scored two or more goals in eight out of ten in 2026, conceding two or more in seven out of ten. In 2026, in ten USA games, a total of 47 goals have been scored, producing an average of 4.70 goals per game. That’s a lot of goals. Will we see more on Saturday?
USA vs Mexico key details
The Stars and Stripes got down to business in St. Louis, Missouri last time out, where they were clearly suited by playing in front of the CITYPARK crowd. It’s now off to Glendale Arizona for Mauricio Pochettino and his men, who will take on the Mexicans at State Farm Stadium.
Date: Saturday, October 3rd
Kick off time: 10:00 PM EST
Venue: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
Where to watch: NBC Sports, TNT, Peacock
Youngsters looking to star again
Ahead of the current international break, there was plenty of focus on the fact that several young players had been brought into the USMNT fold, with no fewer than 13 newbies named in the squad selected by Pochettino.
Against Peru last weekend, several of those youngsters made their debuts, with a couple really shining. 19-year-old Justin Ellis started as one of the forwards, and it took the Orlando City teenager less than four minutes to notch his first international goal. New York Red Bulls forward Julian Hall, who replaced Ellis as a 62nd-minute substitute also got in on the action, scoring his first international goal.
Last time out against Chile, the youngsters were at it again. Hall’s fine substitute appearance against Peru earned him a first ever start for the Stars and Stripes, and the youngster repaid Pochettino by finding the net for a second game on the spin, making it two goals in two appearances for the USMNT. Borussia Dortmund’s Mathis Albert, at just 17, made his second substitute appearance for the nation, entering the field for 19 second-half minutes, during which he found the net. After two cameo appearances off the bench, he’ll be hoping to start against Mexico.
