It's the scoreline that spawned a chant. “Dos a Cero” is the single most recognizable score the USMNT has enjoyed against their bitter rivals, Mexico. Sure, the result had occurred before in their dozens of meetings (like in 1991 at the Gold Cup semifinal), but the Dos a Cero era began in earnest just after the turn of the millennium. In the 24 meetings the two teams have had since the ball dropped in 1999, the distinct 2-0 scoreline has popped up 8 times. Considering the number of conceivable results there are, that's freakish. Here's a look back at the recent Dos a Cero results.
October 25, 2000
The first Dos a Cero result of the new millennium came in a friendly tilt in Los Angeles. It was a friendly, yes, but there are some eerie parallels to the most important 2-0 results that the future held. For one, it marked the debut of one Landon Donovan, who scored and collected an assist in the contest. Josh Wolff was the other goalscorer in the match. Donovan's story, and the era of the Dos a Cero, were just beginning.
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February 28, 2001
A much more important result followed less than a year removed from the Donovan debut match. It also occurred at a ground that the USMNT would begin to establish as a fortress in the years to come in Columbus, Ohio. A World Cup qualifier at then-named Crew Stadium against Mexico was the stage for a number of firsts, including the Americans' first win over Mexico in qualifying since 1980. Josh Wolff was the hero on the day, notching a goal and an assist against El Tri.
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June 17, 2002
The familiar Dos a Cero scoreline crept its way into the USA's clash against Mexico in the 2002 World Cup. Landon Donovan and Brian McBride were the goalscorers in the historic victory in Jeonju, South Korea. The win booked the U.S. a trip to the World Cup quarterfinals, and also marked the first time the USMNT had shut out a team in the World Cup since 1950. The joy for the U.S. ended there, as they fell to Germany in the next match.
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September 3, 2005
The World Cup is international soccer's biggest prize, but getting an invite isn't so easy. With the USA's rivalry with Mexico at full tilt, it was the Americans' win against El Tri that made them the first CONCACAF team to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. That feat hadn't been accomplished by the Yanks since 1934. U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller held the Mexicans at bay in the World Cup qualifier, extending his impressive scoreless streak in qualifying to 507 minutes.
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February 7, 2007
By the time 2007 rolled around, the Dos a Cero stuff was becoming old hat. Mexico and the U.S. hadn't met since their World Cup qualifier in Columbus, and the U.S. had a new coach, but somehow the mystique carried over. Bob Bradley, one of most prominent American coaches in the game today, collected a win with the U.S. in his first match against Mexico. The scoreline was, you guessed it, 2-0.
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February 11, 2009
Future captain Michael Bradley did the damage himself, scoring unassisted in the first half and late in stoppage time with an assist from Landon Donovan. The United States won that match in Columbus, Ohio to the tune of 2-0. If it sounds repetitive, that's because it is. The win pushed the USA's home streak against Mexico past the decade mark. The last time Mexico had won in the U.S. was March 13, 1999.
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September 10, 2013
There wasn't much question about it heading into yet another World Cup qualifying match, but Columbus, Ohio solidified its standing as an impenetrable stronghold for the U.S. against Mexico. Another 2-0 win vs. their rivals booked the USA's ticket to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. By this point, the whole Dos A Cero thing (especially in Columbus) was just bananas and that Clint Dempsey missed a last minute penalty kick to preserve the 2-0 scoreline was simply unbelievable.
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April 15, 2015
The latest chapter of the Dos a Cero era took place in a friendly in 2015. Again, the stakes weren't as high as they are during a World Cup qualifier … but nevertheless. A pair of unlikely goalscorers made their mark against El Tri: Jordan Morris and Juan Agudelo. The win extended the Americans' unbeaten streak against the Mexicans to a record six games. Morris' goal came in his debut, which served to fuel up the hype train surrounding the young American.
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November 11, 2016?
The next edition of the USA vs. Mexico rivalry will take place in none other than Columbus, Ohio. It will be another World Cup qualifier (Nov. 11, 7 p.m. ET on FS1). The American fans will undoubtedly be looking to continue the run of results and singing the Dos a Cero chant. Mexico can silence all of that a variety of ways, but there has to be one score they'd love to hit to quiet the Americans. Return the favor with their own Dos a Cero.
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