Well, that didn't take long. It was obvious after their first goal that Mexico were taking the momentum in the match, and after their second goal they appeared to be firmly in control. Consequently, it should come as absolutely no surprise that with less than five minutes gone in the second half, Mexico has scored another goal. They now lead the United States by a score of 3-2, thanks to a great finish and another goal by Pablo Barrera.
As El Tri surged forward on the counter yet again, they did a fantastic job of flooding the area around Tim Howard's penalty area with more bodies than the United States could mark. With various players making runs from deep, the USMNT defenders had no idea who to pick up and, in their confusion, they left space for Barrera. He cut into the box from the right wing and made himself space from about 15 yards out, then curled an absolutely brilliant finish around Howard. Mexico lead, and they don't look like relinquishing it. However, this is one of those games where anything can happen at any time.
For more on how the two teams got to this point, check out our USA vs. Panama stream and our Mexico vs. Honduras stream. For more updates leading up to USA vs. Mexico, bookmark this StoryStream. For all of our previous Gold Cup coverage, check out the Gold Cup 2011 section. For more on Mexican football, including the Mexican national team, the Mexico vs. USA game, and the Mexican Primera, check out SB Nation's Mexican football blog FMF State Of Mind.
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