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Goals by Lizbeth Ovalle and Mayra Pelayo lifted Mexico to a stunning 2-0 win over the US women’s national team on Monday in the final group-play game of the Concacaf W Gold Cup before a crowd of 11,612 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The win was just the second for Mexico against the US in 43 games, the first coming nearly 14 years ago in Cancun. And the result was well deserved, with Ovalle putting Mexico ahead to stay in the 38th minute and Pelayo doubling the advantage midway through the second-half stoppage time.
Mexico came out aggressive and physical, making the US very uncomfortable in the opening half, much of which was played in the American end. As a result, the US didn’t get their first shot on goal until the 35th minute, when Emily Fox’s try from outside the box was parried wide by Mexican keeper Esthefanny Barreras at the left post.
Two minutes later Ovalle gave Mexico the lead, taking the ball off Becky Sauerbrunn’s foot, dribbling into the box alone, then lifting a soft left-footed shot over keeper Alyssa Naeher and just under the crossbar.
If was the first goal the US have allowed in the tournament and just the third they have conceded since November 2022. And Mexico nearly got another in first-half stoppage time when Karla Nieto beat over Naeher from distance only to see her right-footed shot bang off the bar.
The US haven’t allowed two goals in the same game in 22 matches and in more than 15 months, but that streak ended when Pelayo drilled a shot from well outside the box over a leaping Naeher.
The U.S. started six World Cup champions and brought another two off the bench, yet at times the chemistry was so lacking the players looked as if they’d never met, much less played together. They left Naeher to keep them in the game, making a trio of fine saves in the final seven minutes to keep her team within a goal before Pelayo sealed things.
With the win, Mexico (2-0-1) head into this weekend’s tournament quarter-finals at BMO Stadium as the group champion. The US (2-1-0) also advance as the second-place team.
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In the other group-play final, Argentina beat the Dominican Republic 3-0 on goals from Dalila Ippolito, Celeste dos Santos and Maricel Pereyra, keeping alive its chances to advance to the quarterfinals as a third-place team.
Argentina finished the first round 1-1-1 while the Dominican Republic, outscored 16-0, went winless in their first regional competition and were eliminated.
