Agency :
Tyler Adams scored from about 35 yards in his first start in more than a year for club or country, Gio Reyna added a second-half goal and the United States of America (USA) beat Mexico 2-0 on Sunday night for its third straight CONCACAF Nations League title.
Adams put the USA ahead in the 45th minute when he received a pass from Weston McKennie, took a touch and curled a shot that just eluded the right hand of diving goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Reyna added a 63rd-minute goal.
The USA stretched its unbeaten streak against Mexico to seven games since a September 2019 defeat, including five wins.
The match was suspended twice by Canadian referee Drew Fischer because of homophonic chants among the mostly pro-Mexican crowd of 59,471 at AT&T Stadium.
He stopped play in the 88th minute, resumed after a 4 1/2-minute wait, then halted it again six minutes into stoppage time. Play restarted 1 1/2 minutes later.
Last year’s Nations League semi-final in Las Vegas was ended about four minutes early because of chants from Mexican fans, who for years have directed a slur at opposing teams’ goalkeepers.
Troubled by a right hamstring injury that twice required surgery, Adams had not played for the USA since the 2022 World Cup before entering the 63rd minute on Thursday, then leaving in the 100th because of a minutes restriction.
He was limited to a single 21-minute club appearance between March 11, 2023, and this past March 13, when he returned from the injury with a 20-minute stretch for Bournemouth against Luton in England’s Premier League.
Adams joined Josh Wolff as the only Americans in the last 40 years to score their first two goals against El Tri.
Adams also scored in a friendly against Mexico in September 2018.
Still on a minutes limit, Adams was replaced at the start of the second half.
Reyna, limited to one league start this season for Borussia Dortmund and Nottingham Forest, scored his eighth international goal.
Christian Pulisic’s cross was blocked by defender Johan Vásquez.
The ball deflected off American forward Haji Wright back to Vásquez, who headed a clearance attempt.
Reyna let the ball bounce and beat Ochoa to the near post from 16 yards.
Fischer initially awarded a penalty kick for a challenge by Antonee Robinson on Santiago Giménez, but following a video review by Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzmán, Fischer called off the foul and gave the forward a yellow card for simulation.
Ochoa, Mexico’s 38-year-old captain, made his 150th international appearance.
