Mexico stops 7-game winless streak against the US as Jiménez and Huerta score in 2-0 victory

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Raúl Jiménez scored on a 22nd-minute free kick and set up César Huerta's goal in the 49th as Mexico stopped a seven-game winless streak against the United States with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday night in Mauricio Pochettino's second game as the American coach.

Mexico had five losses and two draws against the U.S. dating to a 3-0 win in September 2019 at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

With nearly a dozen regular players missing that included Christian Pulisic, the U.S. failed to have any first-half shots for the first time since an April 2023 exhibition against El Tri that ended 1-1.

American players not at the game included defenders Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers; midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Luca de la Torre; and attackers Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna and Ricardo Pepi.

Defender Mark McKenzie was in the original starting lineup but because of soreness in his left groin was replaced by Miles Robinson just before kickoff.

"Overall Mexico was a little bit better and fully deserve the victory," Pochettino said. "For us it is a process. It was a great opportunity for our players to visit a very difficult place to play. We can only improve and learn from this experience.”

Jiménez curled a 25-yard-plus shot past Matt Turner for his 34th international international goal. Jiménez created the second goal after he ran onto a through pass, had Tim Ream knock the ball away, they regained possession from the defender and centered to Huerta.

Huerta slid around Robinson and beat Turner from near the penalty spot for his third international goal.

Pochettino, hired last month to replace Gregg Berhalter, led the Americans to a 2-0 win over Panama in his debut Saturday.

His first competitive matches will be next month in a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, likely against Jamaica. After that, Pochettino has just six international windows before players report ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“We need to play more games like this in order to compete,” Pochettino said.

Javier Aguirre won his second game since replacing Jaime Lozano as Mexico coach in August. El Tri was coming of a 2-2 draw against the Spanish club Valencia last weekend.

“I think that the team was aware of the bad performance in Puebla, they wanted to prove themselves that they were capable of playing better,” Aguirre said.

Fans at Akron Stadium yelled the homophobic chant that led to fines imposed by FIFA, but Costa Rican referee Keylor Herrera did not stop the game.

Andrés Guardado started in his 182nd international match and left to a loud ovation in the 19th minute of what he said was his national team finale at age 38. He was greeted by every member of the team.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Mexico's Andrés Guardado leaves the pitch after being substituted during an international friendly soccer match against the United States at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

The United States' Antonee Robinson, left, heads the ball past Mexico's Raúl Jiménez during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico's Raúl Jiménez, right, is congratulated by Edson Álvarez after scoring his side's opening goal against the United States during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico's Raúl Jiménez, left, kicks the ball past the United States' Joe Scally during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

The United States' Joe Scally, left, falls over challenged by Mexico's César Huerta during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico's Raúl Jiménez, in light-blue cleats, is congratulated after scoring his side's opening goal against the United States during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico's Raúl Jiménez, right, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal against the United States during an international friendly soccer match at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Pretty much every basketball fan has heard of Duke's Cooper Flagg. Nowhere near as many have heard of Houston's Joseph Tugler.

If the Cougars are going to spring an upset over the Blue Devils in the all-1-seed Final Four on Saturday, it will almost surely be because one of the country's best defenders, Tugler, played a big role in holding down the country's best overall player, Flagg.

“Take away his right hand, don't let him get into his spin move, make him earn his shot,” Tugler said, in ticking off Houston's version of a scouting report that is similar to what has been tried by Duke's 38 previous opponents, with minimal success.

And this: “I can guard anybody if I put my mind to it.”

Coach Kelvin Sampson has a gritty team full of players like that.

A team built around stifling defense might not put a ton of clips on the weekly highlight packages, the way Flagg and the Blue Devils (35-3) do.

But a better illustration of what makes Houston (34-4) click might come from a viral video that shows a loose-ball drill the team runs, usually early in the season or, as the coach said, whenever someone needs it.

It starts with a ball being pushed onto the court — or with a bricked free throw — and devolves into chaos, with players diving on the floor, jumping on each other trying to gain possession. Tackling, it appears from the video, is allowed.

Tugler suggested that the losing “team” has to run. Sampson was less concrete on the rules of the drill as its purpose.

“Everything is a competition,” the coach explained. “But like our kids say, it’s not for everybody. But it is for the ones that are here.”

Asked to analyze Flagg's game, Sampson — in his 36th year coaching and at his third Final Four and second with Houston — started mentioning players his teams have faced over the years: Carmelo Anthony, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce.

“This guy is right there with them,” the coach said. “It's hard to say what he's not good at.”

Flagg, the 18-year-old freshman who is averaging 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, picked up the AP player of the year award on Friday, along with the Oscar Robinson Award to add to his quickly filling trophy case.

He is virtually certain to be the top pick in the NBA draft later this spring.

Last weekend, Flagg played arguably the best game of his short college career — a 30-point, six-rebound, seven-assist masterpiece in a Sweet 16 win over Arizona. Two nights later, he was off target but still ended up with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 20-point win over Alabama.

Tugler's honors: Big 12 defensive player of the year and winner of the Lefty Driesell Award given by College Insider Inc. to the nation's best defensive player. Since joining the starting lineup in December, he's averaged 1.9 blocks a game.

Some other Houston stats say a lot. The Cougars are rated first in the KenPom defensive efficiency category. On offense, they are ranked 360th out of 364 teams in possessions per 40 minutes, a figure that plays into the defense because the long possessions shorten games and cause teams to expend energy defending them.

The Cougars lead the nation in field goal percentage allowed (38.2%) and points allowed (58.3).

Duke coach Jon Scheyer, who has seen Houston in a scrimmage two years ago and in a 54-51 Sweet 16 win last season — before Flagg arrived — says the numbers don't fully do it justice.

“They have good individual defenders,” Scheyer said. “But I think, by far, the best thing they do is how they have five guys always moving together.”

Tugler described it that way, too. Always helping. Always moving together. Great defenders might not get as much love as the guys jacking up 3s, but Tugler doesn't mind. He says Houston's version of the “3” comes when it stops a team on three straight possessions.

“We call that the ‘kill stop,’” Tugler said. “After we get that third one, we always feel like, ‘Let’s take this over.'"

Sampson reminisced about his first head-coaching job at Montana Tech. He left Jud Heathcoate's staff at Michigan State and went 7-20 without winning a conference game in his first season.

“Jud calls up and said, ‘Hey, Kel, I just want to congratulate you. You’re the only coach ... that possibly could have taken Montana Tech from obscurity to oblivion,'” Sampson said.

Scheyer was surprised to learn that Flagg's mom, Kelly, has entered a pact with other team moms to get tattoos to commemorate a Duke national title if there is one. Will the coach participate?

“I’m making my wife get a tattoo with them if that’s what’s going to happen," Scheyer said. “I would even consider getting one if we win.”

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Duke forward Cooper Flagg watches during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg shoots during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Houston forward Joseph Tugler shoots during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson )

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson speaks during media day at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson )

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer watches during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg shoots during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)