One may have called it a friendly, but an old rivalry like the one between the United States and Mexico isn’t going to happen without a tiny little bit of drama. And boy, this one is one to remember.
The friendly match played in Nashville between the United States and Mexico went through a moment of maximum tension when US central defender Matt Miazga mocked the stature of his colleague, the Aztec striker Diego Lainez, with a gesture went around the world.
The 23-year-old Chelsea star is 6ft 4ins, with the 18-year-old Club América winger coming in at 5ft 6ins.
Maybe Miazga was doing it for a reaction? If he was – and that’s what he claimed after the match – then Leyva wasn’t afraid to square up to the big man and speak his mind.
“We talked a little smack,” Miazga said (via the Sun). “It’s part of the game. It’s mental warfare.
“We got in their heads. They got a red card right after it. It took a toll and we won the game.”
Apparently, Lainez wasn’t fazed by the incident.
“I wasn’t offended by Miazga,” he said. “It’s football. Football players are different sizes and have different skill sets.”
Tyler Adams’ strike helped the US beat Mexico 1-0.
The match was an essay of two reinforced youth teams with an age limit.
For the United States, of the 11 players who started and all had presented with the senior team, but eight of them did not have 10 international appearances.
For his part, the Brazilian team of Brazilian coach Ricardo Ferretti made four debuts: goalkeeper Hugo González, defensive players Javer Abella and Gerardo Arteaga, and midfielder Erick Aguirre.
