Wins at Estadio Azteca are rare for the U.S. men’s national team, but merely scoring goals itself has been difficult for U.S. players away from home throughout their rivalry with Mexico.
While Dos a Cero has been a regular scoreline on U.S. soil, the Americans have struggled to score in the altitude and hostile environment of the famed Mexico City stadium, which is the site of Thursday night’s World Cup qualifier—potentially the last one between the U.S. and Mexico ever.
Entering the match, only six U.S. players had ever scored at the Azteca, starting with Willy Roy in 1972. From there, it’s been Rick Davis (1980), Eddie Lewis (2005), Charlie Davies (2009), Michael Orozco (2012) and Michael Bradley (2017). For all of the prolific attacking players the U.S. has had over the years, and especially through the modern era, with co-all-time leading scorers Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, only that select group has managed to find the back of the net.
