The Continental Clásico is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and Allstate aimed at building a platform that brings world-class opponents to the United States each year. The first edition of the event will take place tonight in Glendale, Arizona, and feature one of the biggest rivalries in international soccer. This match will be the 75th meeting between the USMNT and Mexico, and the USMNT is seeking its fourth straight victory against El Tri on American soil dating back to 2021. Soccer fans across North America are excited to witness this intense and exciting rivalry between the two teams.
The latest US soccer roster includes Brandon Vazquez, who may face Mexico, a team he played for at the youth level and is still eligible to represent despite debuting and scoring for the US team in January. For interim head coach Anthony Hudson, the upcoming match is both a risk and a reward. "I just want him to come in and not really get caught up in the occasion. I think sometimes you can—it’s a USA-Mexico game, you want to prove so much, and I think we've seen in the past when you really focus on all of that, for some players, it's counterproductive."
"The emotion of the game is going to take care of itself. I just want Brandon to come in, not put any pressure on himself, and just do what he's good at. He's an absolute handful in the box. His movement is good in the box. If you give him the right service and delivery, he's a really good finisher. We just want him to focus on that." Hudson told reporters.
Vazquez was born in Chula Vista, California, to Mexican parents who supported Chivas. He played for Club Tijuana in his youth and spent a year with Mexico's Under-17 team before switching to the US. Despite his successful season with FC Cincinnati, Vazquez has not heard from anyone at the Mexican federation recently.
Nine of the 26 players who represented the US at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be in Arizona for the match against Mexico, including Sergiño Dest, Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, Walker Zimmerman, DeAndre Yedlin, Kellyn Acosta, Jesùs Ferreira, Jordan Morris, and Sean Johnson. The event will feature some of the best players from both teams, including Morris, who is currently leading the MLS Golden Boot Race with eight goals in eight matches.
The match between the USA and Mexico will be played at State Farm Stadium. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. PT, with kickoff set for 7:22 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on TBS, Telemundo, and Universo and streamed on HBO Max and Peacock.
