Mexico ended a seven-match winless run against bitter rival the United States, winning 2-0 in front of a raucous home crowd at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara.
Striker Raúl Jiménez broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute with a stunning 30-yard free kick into the top corner, before turning provider for César Huerta to seal the win four minutes into the second half.
The defeat is Mauricio Pochettino’s first as US men’s national team head coach in only his second game in charge, but the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham manager was missing a number of key players.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah were all absent after returning to their clubs, though their replacements did little to impress Pochettino.
“It wasn’t a great performance, but this type of game is perfect for us to learn,” the Argentine told reporters, per Reuters. “Overall, Mexico was a little bit better and fully deserve the victory.
“For us, it is a process. It was a great opportunity for our players to visit a very difficult place to play. We can only improve and learn from this experience.”
Pochettino, who last month replaced Gregg Berhalter as US head coach, began his tenure with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday.
In the upcoming November international window, Pochettino leads the USMNT in his first competitive match in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.
The victory marks a much improved turnaround for Mexico, which was booed off by its own fans after giving up a 2-0 lead to draw with a shorthanded Valencia team, currently 18th in Spain’s La Liga, at the weekend.
“I think that the team was aware of the bad performance in Puebla, they wanted to prove themselves that they were capable of playing better,” Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre said, per AP.
It proved to be a fitting farewell for Mexico captain Andrés Guardado, who played in his 182nd and final match for ‘El Tri.’
The 38-year-old kissed the badge on his shirt as he was substituted after 18 minutes to a rapturous ovation in his home city and was congratulated by teammates as he made his way off the pitch.