A year ago, Tony Beltran suited up in his third cap for the U.S. National Team in a friendly against Mexico in Arizona.
Now, he’ll watch from Utah as the U.S. takes on Mexico for the 64th time at the Alamodome (6:30 p.m. MT; Fox Sports 1). However, he knows just how much of a spectacle the match will be, particularly for the young players that have peppered the roster.
“It’s tremendous. It’s always special to put on the jersey, but for the reasons we know, that matchup is really fun,” Beltran said at training on Tuesday. “To go out there and the crowd’s buzzing – and it’s not always pro-USA even when we’re stateside. I think that just adds to the energy.”
In an all-MLS starting lineup, Beltran played 72 minutes in a 2-2 draw. He was joined by teammates Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando in the starting lineup
Real Salt Lake has two representatives on the U.S. squad, with Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman both making the trip to San Antonio for the match. In addition, former RSL defender and RSL-AZ Academy product Carlos Salcedo is on the roster for Miguel Herrera’s Mexico side.
The U.S. is 17-32-14 all-time against Mexico, but is unbeaten in the last five meetings. Under Jurgen Klinsmann, the U.S. is 2-0-3 against its rival to the south. The U.S. is 1-2-1 in four friendlies thus far this year.
