What Is ‘Dos a Cero’? A History Of The USA-Mexico Rivalry’s Signature Scoreline

In the USA-Mexico rivalry, there’s a scoreline that sends one fanbase into elation while irking the other. 

Whether it’s in a high-stakes World Cup game or in a “friendly” match against El Tri,, you’ll hear shouted out among USA supporters whenever it flashes across the jumbotron. You’ll see it on T-shirts and even see it adorned on scarves. 

Dos a Cero! — which is simply, “Two to Zero” in Spanish. 

‘Dos A Cero’ is forever tied to the USA-Mexico men’s soccer rivalry. (Photo credit should read PAUL VERNON/AFP via Getty Images)

The 2-0 scoreline carries significance for the U.S., especially as Mexico’s historical dominance has shifted toward a more competitive rivalry since the turn of the century. 

So, what is Dos A Cero? And why does it continue to be brought up? Let’s dive in. 

Brief Snapshot of USA-Mexico Rivalry

First off, some history of the overall USA-Mexico men’s soccer rivalry that stretches back to 1934 – even if it didn’t even begin in either country.

The first game between the two neighbors was a 4-2 win for the U.S. in a World Cup qualifying match, with the game held in Rome ahead of the 1934 tournament in Italy. But Mexico would dominate for the rest of the century, with the USMNT not winning again until 1980. 

In all, there have been 78 matches between the two teams, with Mexico holding the advantage with 37 wins. The U.S. has 24 wins, and there have been 17 draws. Only once has Mexico lost on home soil, a 2012 friendly.

Before the turn of the century, Mexico had the upper hand against the U.S. in men’s soccer. (Photo credit should read JOHN MOTTERN/AFP via Getty Images)

But when it comes to games with something on the line – whether it’s in World Cup qualifying matches, Gold Cup clashes, or even in the World Cup itself – it’s the USA with the upper hand. 

The USA has 16 wins in competitive matches, with Mexico having 14, and having nine draws. 

The modern era of the USA-Mexico rivalry has turned way more competitive as players from both sides become stars at some of the biggest clubs in Europe. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

And as we’ll detail below, the only time the two teams met in the actual World Cup was in 2002, when the U.S. beat Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals – by a score of 2-0. The game, held in South Korea, was the third and last time the rivalry has been played outside of North America.

With interest in the sport increasing after the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup and the founding of Major League Soccer in 1996, that helped shift the tide in the USA-Mexico rivalry. Since 2000, the USMNT has 20 wins compared to Mexico’s 19 (with four draws).

A ‘Cold War’ Solidifies An Infamous Scoreline

A friendly match between the two teams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 5, 2000 marked a turning point in the rivalry. It marked the debut of USMNT legend Landon Donovan, who scored the winner in the 2-0 win that would signal more things to come.

 Landon Donovan’s debut in the USMNT jersey came in a 2000 match against Mexico, that ended with him scoring in the 2-0 win. (Credit: Jeff Gross /Allsport)

Five months later, the two teams met under much different circumstances. Instead of an exhibition match in breezy California weather, it was a World Cup qualifying match on Feb. 28, 2001, in freezing temperatures in Ohio. In a game that became known as La Guerra Fria (“The Cold War”), goals by Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart solidified a second straight 2-0 result over Mexico. 

Then came what remains the signature moment of this rivalry and this scoreline. The two teams met again on June 17, 2002, on the biggest stage of all – the World Cup. In an elimination match for the right to reach the quarterfinals. Donovan’s second-half goal in Jeonju, South Korea, secured a third straight ‘Dos A Cero.’

The next three times that the U.S. hosted Mexico in World Cup qualifying matches (2005, 2009, 2013) all followed the same pattern. Played in Columbus. And all finished 2-0. There was even some speculation that Clint Dempsey purposely missed a penalty kick in the 2013 win to keep the scoreline.

“Nah, I always try to score … I was a little bit tired,” Dempsey told reporters after that game, citing it was his first ever penalty miss for the USMNT.

“It’s this mystical thing, right? It’s like this ghost,” U.S. midfielder Alejandro Bedoya also said about the reoccuring scoreline. 

Add in two wins in exhibition matches in 2007 and 2015 with the same scoreline and El Tri fans started thinking there was a Dos A Cero curse. 

You couldn’t escape the ‘Dos A Cero’ there for awhile. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)

The Curse Is Broken – and ‘Dos A Cero’ 2.0

USMNT fans will always connect the 2018 World Cup qualifying cycle with the loss to Trinidad & Tobago that kept the team from going to Russia. But there were signs along that campaign that the U.S. would be entering a low point.

The first warning sign? Mexico finally broke the curse of  World Cup qualifying games held in Columbus. Rafael Marquez’s goal in the waning minutes of the game on Nov. 11, 2016, secured a 2-1 win for Mexico. 

“It was a new opportunity for me, for all of us to write a new story, and we did that,” Marquez said after that game. “It had been a long time without a win here, with the cold, the difficulties, and the opponent, too.”

The ‘Dos A Cero’ curse is broken! Mexico’s 2-1 win in 2016 would send the U.S. squad into years of turmoil. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The U.S. failed to respond in its very next game, a 4-0 loss to Costa Rica, which cost Jurgen Klinnsman his job as manager. But the U.S. would struggle through the rest of qualifying, and ultimately fell short of reaching Russia. 

But Dos A Cero didn’t stay away for long. It just came back with a slight twist. The USMNT beat Mexico once again 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match on Nov. 21, 2021 in Ohio – but this time in Cincinnati instead of Columbus. It included Christian Pulisic scoring and responding to a comment made by El Tri keeper Guillermo Ochoa saying that “Mexico is the mirror in which the [U.S.] wants to see itself. 

‘Dos A Cero’ was rekindled by Christian Pulisic in a 2021 win over Mexico. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Then the U.S. did again on March 24, 2024, with an actual trophy on the line. Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna secured their spots in the Dos A Cero lore to win the Concacaf Nations League trophy over Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

And then another twist, Mexico finally secured its own Dos A Cero. In Mauricio Pochettino’s second match in charge of the USMNT, he got a quick introduction to the rivalry in a 2-0 loss in an Oct. 15, 2024, friendly in Guadalajara. 

It was in a friendly but Mauricio Pochettino’s introduction to the USA-Mexico rivalry came in a 2-0 result – on the losing end. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

With both the USMNT and Mexico wanting to end the summer on a high note and with a trophy, we should expect an entertaining game in Sunday’s Gold Cup final in Houston. It remains to be seen if we’ll see that familiar scoreline flash across the stadium.

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