US-Mexico countdown: No. 13

13. Confederations Cup 99 semifinal; Mexico City; Aug. 1, 1999: Mexico 1, US 0

Entering the 1999 Confederations Cup, the United States had the unenviable possibility of having to face Mexico in Estadio Azteca. Sure enough, the fates aligned and Mexico hosted their northern neighbors in a semifinal at the vaunted stadium. As the game progressed, though, the Americans may have thought they had their best chance of pulling out a victory from Azteca for the first time. Mexico couldn’t score as Kasey Keller had made several standout saves in the early going. The Americans were resilient and seemed poised for a breakthrough; Cobi Jones even sent a shot off the crossbar midway through the second half. That long-awaited breakthrough, though, never happened as Mexico once again flexed their muscle in their most prized venue. It took extra time but Cuauhtemoc Blanco eventually finished off the United States with a golden goal, as Blanco tapped a loose ball past Kasey Keller. Mexico went on to win the Confederations Cup over Brazil while the United States left unable to figure out the puzzle of Estadio Azteca.

Lineups
United States: Kasey Keller; Jeff Agoos, Gregg Berhalter, Robin Fraser, Frankie Hejduk; Richie Williams, John Harkes, Earnie Stewart, Cobi Jones; Jovan Kirovski, Brian McBride (Eddie Lewis 78).

Mexico: Jorge Campos; Claudio Suarez, Rafael Marquez, Salvador Carmona; Ramon Ramirez (Jesus Arellano, 72), Gerardo Torrado (Miguel Zepeda, 58), German Villa, Pavel Pardo, Isaac Terrazas (Francisco Palencia, 46), Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Jose Manuel Abundis.

Scoring
Mexico - Blanco 96