28 March 2010 - Reeling In The Years

On 28 March 2010, midfielder Kristine Lilly came on as a first-half substitute for the US in a friendly against Mexico. By doing so, she became the first person in international football history to represent her country in four different decades.

Lilly made her first appearance for the United States in 1987 when she was just 16 years old. Over the course of her 24-year international career, she has earned 352 caps while winning two World Cups (1991, 1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004).

She was on the bench for the match against Mexico, played at the University of San Diego's Torero Stadium, but entered in the 32nd minute as a replacement for midfielder Yael Averbuch. The US were already up 1-0 at the point with a 12th-minute goal from forward Amy Rodriguez and proceeded to extend their lead with strikes from Shannon Boxx (43') and Lauren Cheney (72').

Lilly's appearance meant that she played for the US in the '80s, '90s, '00s, and '10s. She received her last call-up on 27 November 2010 for a 1-0 win over Italy in a World Cup qualifier, but was an unused substitute for that match.

15 February 1998 - El Tri's Trifecta

On 15 February 1998, Mexico won their third consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup, beating the United States 1-0.

After going undefeated through their respective groups, the United States advanced to the final with a 1-0 victory over Brazil to set a record streak of six consecutive wins. Mexico, meanwhile, required an extra-time golden goal from forward Luis Hernández to get past Jamaica. That set up a final that was a rematch of the 1993 Final. That year, Mexico rolled to an easy 4-0 win over the US. They repeated as champions in the next tournament, played in 1996, with a 2-0 win over Brazil.

For the 1998 Final, the teams met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Although the US were the ostensible home team, the 91,000-plus crowd predominantly favored Mexico. In a scrappy first half, Hernández powered a 43rd-minute header home from point-blank range past American keeper Kasey Keller for the game's only score.

Since then, Mexico and the US have met in two additional Finals, with the Americans winning in 2007 and Mexico in 2009.

8 December 2004 - The Curtains Close On Two Careers

On 8 December 2004, Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy ended their national team careers with a 5-0 victory over Mexico.

Played before a crowd of 15,549 in Carson, California, the match was the last of a 10-game "Fan Celebration Tour" scheduled in honor of the team's victory in the 2004 Women's World Cup. It was the 271st appearance for Foudy, who had captained the team since 1991 (she was a co-captain from 1991 to 2000), and the 275th appearance for Hamm, a number exceeded only by teammate Kristine Lilly (currently at 352 caps and counting). Hamm, however, retired as the national team's all-time leading goalscorer with a total of 158.

Though Hamm did not add to her tally against Mexico, she provided assists for the first two goals, scored by Aly Wagner and Abby Wambach. They each completed a brace as the hosts went up 4-0 by the break before winning 5-0.

Their retirement, along with that of teammate Joy Fawcett, who was unable to play due to injury, ended a dominant period for US football in which the women's national team won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

29 July 2001 - Enough Clean Sheets To Fill A Linen Closet

On 29 July 2001, hosts Colombia won their first Copa América title, beating invitees Mexico 1-0 in a Final that saw the visitors finish with nine men and no manager on the touchline.

The competition almost didn't happen, as drug-fueled political violence in the country forced CONMEBOL to cancel it. But promises of increased security by the organizers allowed it to go forward, albeit without CONMEBOL member Argentina and invitee Canada, both of whom withdrew amid concerns over the safety of their players.

Both Colombia and Mexico provided stout defenses throughout the tournament, with Mexico conceding only two goals, while Colombia had not allowed a single one. The Final proved to be much of the same, as the two teams battled through a scoreless first half notable mostly for the touchline ban issued against Mexican manager Javier Aguirre for his repeated excursions outside the bounds of the technical area. Colombia suffered a loss as well, losing the tournament's leading scorer, Victor Aristizabal to injury in the 25th minute.

Colombia eventually got the edge in the second half with a 65th-minute header from defender and captain Iván Córdoba - his only goal of the tournament. The frustrated Mexicans began lashing out, earning two late red cards for Juan Rodriguez and Gerardo Torres, as Colombia earned their sixth consecutive clean sheet of the competition and raised the cup.

24 June 1950 - Brazil Throws A World Cup Party

On 24 June 1950, hosts Brazil opened the first World Cup in twelve years by pounding Mexico 4-0. It was the beginning of a tournament run that ended with Brazil in second place, their best finish to that point.

As the world recovered from the aftermath of World War II, FIFA had difficulty convincing many countries to participate. By the tournament's start, only thirteen teams showed up, including Italy, the defending champions from the last tournament, played in 1938. Brazil had finished in third place that year and had submitted a bid to host the 1942 World Cup before FIFA canceled it due to the war.

In that opening match, played before a crowd of 81,000 at the Maracanã in Rio, Brazilian striker Ademir Marques de Menezes opened and closed the scoring with goals in the 30th and 79th minutes. In between, midfielder Jair de Rosa Pinto added one in the 65th minute and striker Baltazar scored in the 71st. They completely dominated the Mexicans, who had not participated in a World Cup since the first one in 1934 where they lost all three of their matches.

Brazil proceeded to draw with Switzerland 2-2 and beat Yugoslavia 2-0 to finish at the top of their group. They advanced to the final group, where they defeated Sweden (7-1) and Spain (6-1) before losing to Uruguay (2-1) in the match that decided the title. Along the way, Ademir scored a total of eight goals to win the tournament's golden boot.

16 June 1954 - A Sign Of Things To Come

On 16 June 1954, Brazil opened the World Cup with a 5-0 demolition of Mexico before a crowd of 13,000 at Geneva's Charmille Stadium. Four of the goals came in the first half.

The match paired the top two qualifying teams from the Americas, with both sides going undefeated to win their groups (Brazil over Paraguay, Chile, and Peru and Mexico over the United States and Haiti). While Mexico had never advanced beyond the first round, the Brazilians were looking to rebound after losing the previous Cup to Uruguay.

They did so in convincing fashion. Striker Oswaldo da Silva, better known as Baltazar, put the South Americans up 1-0 in the 23rd minute with a powerful shot from the top of the box. Central midfielder Didi then stretched the lead to 2-0 with a 30th-minute free-kick that beat the wall from 20 yards out. Pinga, Brazil's number 10, added a quick brace to close the half (34', 43'). The final goal was scored in the 69th minute by Julinho, who found the back of the net after a weaving run through the Mexican defense that would later come to be a Brazilian trademark.

Despite the impressive nature of the win, it was Brazil's only victory of the tournament. They drew 1-1 with Yugoslavia in their only other group stage match, then lost 4-2 to Hungary in the first knockout round. Four years later, however, Brazil would win their first World Cup trophy in Sweden.

7 June 1970 - Trickeration, Mexican Style

On 7 June 1970, hosts Mexico defeated El Salvador 4-0 in the World Cup group stage, using a little trickery along the way.

Just before halftime, with the match tied at 0-0, referee Ali Kandil awarded a free kick to El Salvador in their own half of the pitch. To everyone's surprise, however, one of the Mexican players stepped up and took the kick, passing it forward to teammate Javier Valdivia, who then knocked it into the goal. El Salvador's players protested, but Kandil allowed the goal to stand.

When the match restarted in the second half, El Salvador registered their disapproval by first refusing the kick off, then kicking the ball directly into the stands. Once the second half was underway, Valdivia quickly scored a second goal and the rout was on. Javier Fragoso extended the Mexicans' lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute, then substitute Juan Basaguren added another in the 83rd minute, becoming the first substitute to score in a World Cup.

El Salvador finished at the bottom of Group 1 and went home. Mexico advanced to the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated by Italy.

31 May 1970 - The Reds See Yellow

On 31 May 1970, Mexico and the Soviet Union kicked off that year's World Cup before a crowd of 107,000 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. The match did not go as the hosts had hoped, ending as a scoreless draw.

Controversy erupted even before the players took the pitch, as FIFA scheduled several matches, including the opener, to start at noon. They claimed the early start time was intended to facilitate live television coverage for Europe, but many of the players complained that the noon starts would be too hot and would favor sides from warmer climates.

Despite El Tri's home advantage, the Soviets were heavily favored, having advanced the semi-finals of the previous World Cup, then finishing in fourth place in the 1968 Europeam Championship. Mexico, meanwhile, had never gotten out of the first round in any prior World Cup. On the day, however, neither side managed to threaten the other, making it an anticlimactic start to what would eventually become one of the most celebrated tournaments thanks to a dynamic Brazil side that won the trophy, their third, after beating Italy 4-1 in the Final.

The match did see the World Cup's first-ever tactical substitution, as well as the first-ever yellow card in a World Cup match. Before 1970, substitutions were allowed only in case of injury and, while cautions and expulsions were used before 1970, the tournament was the first to use the card system. The first substitute was the USSR's Anatoliy Puzach, who came on for Viktor Serebryanikov in the 46th minute, while the first yellow card - one of five issued in the match - went to Evgeni Lovchev in the 40th minute.

6 May 1990 - They Could Change The National Anthem To "1-0, Canada!"

On 6 May 1990, hosts Canada kicked off the 1990 North American Nations Cup with a 1-0 win over the United States.

Organized by the North American Football Confederation, the competition has been played only four times - 1947, 1949, 1990, and 1991 - with each tournament consisting of three teams. Canada, despite being a member of the NAFC, did not participate in either of the first two, both of which were won by Mexico.

After a 41-year break, the NAFC resurrected the Cup, which was hosted that year by Canada and included the United States and Mexico. Although both Canada and Mexico fielded full-strength teams, the US sent a B squad as their preparations for the US-hosted 1990 World Cup led to fixture congestion. As a result, the US does not consider the 1990 North American Nations Cup matches as official results.

Official or not, Canadian striker John Catliff scored the match's only goal to give his side the 1-0 win. Catliff had played for Harvard University, where he was selected to the 1986 All-America first team, before moving to the Canadian Soccer League in 1987. He went on to win the tournament for the Canadians, scoring both goals in their 2-1 win over Mexico on 13 May.

The US finally won the trophy in 1991, after which the North American Nations Cup was replaced by the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

13 March 1955 - Four Teams, Three Medals (Sorry, Venezuela)

On 13 March 1955, the opening matches of the Pan American Games' football tournament were played in Mexico City. Although 22 nations participated in the Games, only four sent teams for football: Venezuela, the Netherlands Antilles, hosts Mexico, and defending champions Argentina.

The tournament used a table format, with two points for a win and one for a draw. Each team played the other three two times, for a total of six matches each, with the top team at the finish taking the gold medal.

The two opening-day matches were both close, as Mexico played Venezuela to a 1-1 draw, while Argentina beat the Netherlands Antilles 2-1. In the latter match, the Netherlands Antilles took a shock lead in the 9th minute, but the defending champions scored two goals in under three minutes (20', 22') to take the lead and the win. The Netherlands Antilles were hampered by the loss of a player to injury in the 70th minute and finished the match with 10 men.

Argentina repeated as champions with 5 wins and a draw, while Mexico took the silver and the Netherlands Antilles went home with the bronze. Venezuela finished out of medal position at the bottom of the table with only one win to go with two draws and three losses.

The US, which chose not to send a football team to Mexico despite participating in the rest of the Games, nevertheless had an impact on the pitch, as the referees for both opening matches were Americans.

11 February 2009 - Dos Y Cero, Número Tres

On 11 February 2009, the United States defeated Mexico at Crew Stadium in Colombus Ohio. It was the Yanks' third straight 2-0 win over their North American rivals, prompting cheers of "dos y cero" among the American supporters in the crowd of 23,776.

It was the opening match for CONCACAF's fourth and final 2010 World Cup qualifying round, also known as "the hexagonal," which includes the three group winners and runners-up from the previous round. The United States easily won their third-round group, while Mexico squeaked into the fourth round as their group runner-up, tied on points but with a better goal differential than group third-place finisher Jamaica.

After some tentative play by both sides, the United States took a late first-half lead when Mexico keeper Oswaldo Sánchez parried a header into the path of US midfielder Michael Bradley, who tucked it away from 6 yards out. Play heated up in the second half, with Mexican captain Rafael Márquez getting sent off in the 65th minute for a high kick on American keeper Tim Howard.

With El Tri down to 10 men and struggling, the US dominated the remainder of the match. They eventually capped their victory with another goal from Bradley, who, in the second minute of stoppage time, fired a 28-yard shot under the arms of Sánchez to complete his brace.

The loss helped seal the fate of Mexico coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, who was sacked in April 2009 after less than a year in charge. Under new coach Javier Aguirre, Mexico succesfully qualified for the World Cup in second place of the CONCACAF table, one point behind the US.

8 January 2004 - El Tri Loses Some Color

On 8 January 2004, Mexico's flamboyant goalkeeper Jorge Campos announced his retirement from football, taking his self-designed colorful kits with him.

Born in Acapulco on 15 October 1966, Campos started his professional career in 1988 with Club Universidad Nacional, better known as Pumas. In order to get time on the pitch, he played as a striker until he won the job as first-team keeper. In 1991, he got his first cap for Mexico and would go on to make 130 appearances for El Tri (in 7 of those, he played as both a keeper and a striker, and in 2 others, he played only as a striker).

Although well-known for his bright and unique kits, which he designed himself, Campos was an accomplished keeper. During the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup, for example, he did not concede a single goal as Mexico claimed the title with a 2-0 win over invitee Brazil in the final.

His career included spells with numerous clubs in Mexico and the United States, including the Los Angeles Galaxy (1997), Chicago Fire (1998) and several seasons with Pumas (1988-96, 1997-98, 1998-2000, 2001-02). At the time of his retirement, he was playing for Puebla (2002-04).

18 December 1961 - A Name Only An ENT Could Love

On 18 December 1961, the North American Football Confederation and the Football Confederation of Central America and the Caribbean merged to form the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, better known by its acronym, CONCACAF.

As one of the six FIFA confederations, CONCACAF is in charge of World Cup qualification for its member teams. It also runs its own competitions, including the Gold Cup for international sides and the CONCACAF Champions League for clubs.

At the international level, the confederation has been controlled by the United States and Mexico who, between the two of them, have earned more than half of the confederation's World Cup appearances. Mexico has advanced the furthest, making it to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986 (both times as the host country). El Tri also dominates at the club level, with the three highest-ranked clubs at present (Cruz Azul, Pachuca, and Deportivo Toluca) all coming from Mexico's Primera División.

Curiously, CONCACAF also includes three South American teams--Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.

4 August 1999 - But Would They Have Beaten France? Probably, Yeah.

On 4 August 1999, host nation Mexico beat Brazil 4-3 in the Confederations Cup Final before a crowd of 110,000 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. The tournament was the fourth Confederations Cup, which typically includes the winners of the six FIFA confederations (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC, and CONCACAF) as well as the World Cup holders and the host country.

For the 1999 tournament, World Cup holders France declined to participate, so World Cup runners-up Brazil filled that slot. Brazil were also CONMEBOL champions, however, so CONMEBOL runners-up Bolivia took that confederation's qualifying spot. Similarly, because CONCACAF champions Mexico qualified as hosts, the United States filled the CONCACAF slot as the second-place team. They were joined by Egypt (CAF champions), Germany (UEFA champions), New Zealand (OFC champions), and Saudi Arabia (AFC champions).

The Final featured a showdown between the tournament's two best players—Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho and Mexican midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Ronaldinho had scored in every match for Brazil, including a 13th-minute gamewinner in their 1-0 win over the United States in the group stage and a hat-trick in their 8-2 demolition of Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals. Similarly, Blanco netted four in Mexico's opening match against Saudi Arabia and scored the 97th-minute golden goal in Mexico's 1-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals.

In the Final, Mexico took a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from midfielder Miguel Zepeda (13') and striker José Manuel Abundis (28'). Brazil pulled one back just before the break when left winger Serginho converted a 43rd-minute penalty kick. Striker Roni then equalized in the 47th minute, but the game did not remain level for long, as Zepeda scored his second in the 51st minute. Blanco added another eleven minutes later, to recapture Mexico's 2-goal lead. It turned out to be the matchwinner, as Brazilian midfielder Zé Roberto completed the scoring with a goal in the 63rd minute.

Blanco and Ronaldinho tied with Saudi Arabia's Marzouq Al-Otaibi for most goals of the tournament at 6 each. And while Blanco helped his team to the title, Ronaldinho earned the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

13 July 1930 - The Shots Heard 'Round The World

On 13 July 1930, France defeated Mexico 4-1 and the United States beat Belgium 3-0 in the first ever World Cup matches, played simultaneously in Montevideo, Uruguay. The France-Mexico match was played at the Estadio Pocitos before a crowd of close to 3,000, while approximately 15,000 people watched the United States and Belgium at the Estadio Parque Central.

The first World Cup was open to all FIFA members, with no qualification necessary. Due to the distance and travel expense, few European teams were willing to participate, though FIFA President Jules Rimet ultimately persuaded Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. They were joined by nine Western Hemisphere teams; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the United States and hosts Uruguay.

France's inside right Lucien Laurent scored the World Cup's first ever goal with a volley against Mexico in the 19th minute. Marcel Langiller added a second in the 40th minute, followed by André Machinot in the 43rd minute. Mexico's Juan Carreño pulled one back in the 70th minute, but Machinot scored his second in the 87th minute, sealing the 4-1 victory. France completed its group stage with losses to Argentina and Chile, however, and was eliminated from the tournament.

In the other opening match, the United States' Scottish-born forward Bart McGhee scored a quick brace with goals in the 41st and 45th minutes. His fellow forward Bert Patenaude scored the third goal in the 88th minute, while goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas kept a clean sheet. The US finished at the top of its three-team group with a similar 3-0 win over Paraguay, then lost to Argentina 6-1 in the semi-finals to finish in third place overall.

Uruguay claimed the first World Cup trophy with a 4-2 win over Argentina in the Final.

24 June 2007 - It Must Have Been One Heck Of A Halftime Speech

On 24 June 2007, the United States successfully defended their 2006 CONCACAF Gold Cup title, defeating Mexico in the 2007 Final before a crowd of 60,000 at Chicago's Soldier Field.

The 2007 tournament was the ninth Gold Cup competition, which includes teams from the CONCACAF regions of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The North American teams dominated the group stage, with only two losses among them. Both the United States and Canada finished at the top of their groups, with Mexico finishing second to Honduras in its group on goal differential.

In the knockout stages, the United States advanced to the Final with victories over Panama (2-1) and Canada (2-1), while Mexico secured its spot with wins over Costa Rica (1-0, a.e.t.) and Guadeloupe (1-0).

Both sides played aggressively, with El Tri dictating a fast pace. The United States struggled defensively in the first half and paid the price in the 44th minute as Nery Castillo placed a perfect cross for Andrés Guardado, who slammed the ball into the roof of the net.

The US came out after the break with even more energy. They equalized in the 66th minute, as forward Brian Ching was pulled down in the box by Jonny Magallón and US captain Landon Donovan drilled the ensuing spot kick home. Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez played well, but was eventually beaten in the 73rd minute by a thunderous game-winning volley from US midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

It was the United States' fourth Gold Cup trophy, which tied them with Mexico for total Gold Cup titles. As winners, the US earned a spot in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

28 May 1928 - The Birth Of The World Cup

On 28 May 1928, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam decided to organize and stage its own international football tournament, which came to be known as the World Cup.

FIFA had previously been involved in organizing Olympic football, starting with the 1920 Summer Olympics and continuing in 1924 and 1928. It was the success of those tournaments that prompted FIFA, under the leadership of President Jules Rimet, to stage its own competition starting in 1930.

To host the inaugural World Cup, FIFA looked to reigning two-time Olympic champions Uruguay, for whom 1930 was also the centennial anniversary of their independence from Brazil. Unfortunately, the choice of Uruguay as host country placed a significant travel burden on the European national sides, leading only four - Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia - to participate. They were joined by seven South American teams and two North American teams to make a total of thirteen participating nations.

The first two World Cup matches were held simultaneously on 13 July 1930 - France defeated Mexico 4-1 and the United States beat Belgium 3-0.

That first World Cup concluded with host Uruguay successfully defending its world champion status from the Olympics with a 4-2 victory over Argentina in the Final.