The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) left Estadio Azteca in Mexico City disappointed with a 0-0 draw on Thursday but still in a solid position to qualify for the World Cup.

The draw gives the U.S. the chance to cement their spot in the World Cup if they win their next qualifying game against Panama in Orlando on Sunday.

However, the U.S. could have been in an even better position if they had converted at least one of two golden opportunities versus Mexico.

The U.S. had the game’s two best chances to score, but both Christian Pulisic and Jordan Pefok missed from point-blank range. Both goals may have given the U.S. their first-ever win at the Estadio Azteca.

“We put ourselves in a position to play on Sunday and win and go to the World Cup,” Pulisic said afterward. “But of course, I’m disappointed I missed a chance, and I would have loved to have won the game.”

In the 35th minute, Ricardo Pepi passed a ball out wide to Tim Weah, who got around two defenders before crossing the ball across the goal. The cross found Pulisic alone in front of the net. He redirected the ball with his left foot from seven yards out, but it went directly at Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa who blocked the shot away with his ribcage. 

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Pulisic pounded the ground three times in frustration as the ball went out of bounds for a corner kick. 

The second opportunity came after Gio Reyna, a 19-year-old midfielder who had missed the previous ten qualifiers with a strained hamstring, subbed in for Weah in the 60th as Pefok subbed in for Pepi. A long pass from Kellyn Acosta in the 72nd minute found Reyna just to the right of the goal. He redirected the ball to Pefok, who was unguarded six yards in front of the goal, but he badly misfired a left-foot shot and sent it well wide.

Estadio Azteca is one of the most challenging places for visitors to play. The U.S. has never won in the stadium, so the draw was still a relief. 

Mexico has 40 wins, two losses, and ten draws all-time in World Cup qualifiers at Estadio Azteca. On Thursday, they outshot the U.S. 11-9 and had possession of the ball 62.3% of the game.

However, none of Mexico’s shot attempts were better chances than the Americans had. The U.S. had 1.26 expected goals compared to Mexico’s 0.40.

“I think everyone’s pretty pleased with the way tonight went,” Pulisic said. “Three points would have been amazing here, but we can’t get too greedy. They’re a great team in a difficult place to play.”

“I think it’s a game that could’ve gone either way. I thought we had the better offensive chances and we had good spells, but a draw is fair,” added Pulisic.

The U.S. and Mexico are tied for second place with 22 points in the North, Central America, and the Caribbean qualifying region with two games left. However, the U.S. is ahead of Mexico on goal differential. Both countries are three points behind first-place Canada, which lost 1-0 in Costa Rica on Thursday.

With the win, Costa Rica moved into fourth place with 19 points. The top three finishers in qualifying will clinch a spot in the World Cup. The fourth-place finisher will have to win a two-game playoff, likely against New Zealand, for a place in the tournament. 

Panama is in fifth place with 18 points. They drew 1-1 at home with Honduras on Thursday. Honduras, El Salvador, and Jamaica are the bottom three teams in the standings and are mathematically eliminated from qualifying to the World Cup. 

The U.S. will play their final qualifying game in Costa Rica next week, where they have never won.

The game on Sunday in Orlando against Panama is crucial. If the U.S. wins against Panama on Sunday, it will clinch a spot in the World Cup before its game in Costa Rica next week. Costa Rica will be in El Salvador on Sunday.

If the U.S. loses to Panama and Costa Rica defeats El Salvador, the final qualifying game between the two countries could become a must-win elimination game. Hopefully, the missed opportunities against Mexico do not come back to haunt the USMNT.