The rivalry between the United States men's national team and the Mexican national team is undoubtedly the greatest rivalry in the region and, in terms of the collective passion of their fans, one of the greatest rivalries in world football. The rivalry is also the subject of a recent documentary film, Gringos at the Gate.
Coming off the United States' humiliating 4-2 loss at the hands of Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final, there was little doubt that Mexico was the dominant team in , but two long years have passed and the paradigm has changed significantly since then.
So, which nation currently holds the edge in this rivalry?
Coaching
Both U.S. manager and Mexico manager Jose Manuel la Torre (better known as ) have had their fair share of ups and downs.
is currently 17-8-6 (win-loss-draw format) as manager of the U.S. national team while is 14-6-10 as Mexico's manager over that same time period.
got off to a slow start with the , going 1-4-1 in his first six games in charge, and had some scary moments in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying in 2012, heading into the last game of the round needing a win to guarantee advancement.
, on the other hand, was 12-3-2 between the Gold Cup final in 2011 and the end of 2012, going unbeaten and untied in the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying and picking up a nice win over Brazil in a friendly.
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However, in 2013, the fortunes of these two managers have been completely different. While has the on a five-game unbeaten streak, and Mexico have struggled in 2013 with an overall record of 2-3-8. Many fans of El are now calling for to be fired, while has never enjoyed more support from U.S. fans.
To be sure, fans in both countries are finicky-when was struggling for results, he was widely questioned, even when the U.S. earned wins in friendlies over Italy, Mexico and Germany. Now that is struggling to find wins with a talented player pool, with the team working its way through an insufferable string of ties, there have been widespread inquiries into 's tactics and lineup choices.
Current Advantage: U.S. Youth Development
In terms of youth development, there really 't much of an argument.
Mexico is the current world champions at the U-17 level, winning the U-17 World Cup in 2011. They also won the tournament in 2005. By comparison, the U.S. lost 4-0 in the round of 16 of the 2011 tournament and lost in the quarterfinals, 2-0, in the 2005 tournament.
Mexico placed third at the 2011 U-20 World Cup, a tournament the U.S. did not qualify for after losing to Guatemala in the quarterfinals of qualifying. In this summer's 2013 U-20 World Cup, Mexico were knocked out of the tournament by Spain, 2-1, in the round of 16. By comparison, the U.S. did not advance out of their group and lost to the same Spain side 4-1.
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Mexico is also the current Olympic champions, a competition which is primarily contested by each nation's U-23 squad. By comparison, the U.S. did not even qualify for the Olympic tournament, not advancing out of the group stage in the qualifying tournament after losing to Canada and tying El Salvador.
Finally, many American youth of Mexican heritage go to Liga teams for their development. Some prominent current examples include Benji Joya, Daniel , Alonso Hernandez and Juan Pablo . All four were members of the team that represented the U.S. this past month at the U-20 World Cup. When comparing the U-20 rosters of each country, it is also noteworthy that 19 of Mexico's 21 players currently play in Liga . By comparison, only 14 of the 21 U.S. players currently play in Major League Soccer.
Current Advantage: Mexico Domestic Leagues
As in youth development, there really 't much of a debate when it comes to who has a better domestic league. While is rapidly improving, Liga has a clear advantage.
Mexican sides have won the Champions League (formerly known as the Champions' Cup) 12 times since teams entered the competition. sides, by contrast, have only won the tournament twice and never in its current format. Furthermore, on eight occasions since entered the competition, the final has been an all-Mexico affair.
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Comparing the U.S. and Mexico's recent national team rosters also shows Mexico's dominance in this regard. While 17 of Mexico's 23 players on its Confederations Cup roster play in Liga , only eight of the 23 U.S. players rostered for its last World Cup qualifier play in .
The recent U.S. rosters also include many individuals who play professionally in Liga , including Edgar Castillo, Herculez Gomez, Beasley, Joe Corona and Michael Fiscal.
By comparison, none of Mexico's recent call-ups play in .
Current Advantage: Mexico Current Form
Based on current form, the U.S. holds the advantage. In the era, the U.S. is 1-0-2 head-to-head against Mexico, including both a win and a tie at , the once impenetrable fortress of Mexican football.
The U.S. has also enjoyed a better run of form in the final round of World Cup qualifying, most commonly known as 'the hex.' The U.S. is 4-1-1 in the hex and has not lost since their first game. Mexico, on the other hand, is 1-0-5 in the hex. Currently, the U.S. holds a five-point advantage in the standings with only four games to go.
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Mexico has also struggled in its other games in 2013, tying all three of its friendlies this year, going 1-2 in the Confederations Cup and losing its Gold Cup opener to Panama on Sunday. Meanwhile, the U.S. is 2-1-1 in friendlies in 2013, including a win over Germany and a 6-0 thrashing of Guatemala on Friday night.
While it would be foolish for Americans to think that they have established a dominance over Mexico-Mexico simply has too much talent to continue their current dreadful run-the U.S. is the stronger nation right now.
Current Advantage: U.S.
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