MEXICO CITY – Friendly or not, all the players involved in the US national team’s first-ever win over El Tri in Mexico on Wednesday night will carry with them a little bit of US soccer history.
But Michael Orozco Fiscal’s name will be forever etched in the memory of the occasion thanks to his 80th-minute winning goal.
“That’s history,” said a slightly overwhelmed Orozco Fiscal after the game. “It does leave a mark in my heart.”
The 26-year-old, who was substituted on in the 77th minute, pushed the ball past a scrambling Guillermo Ochoa and headed straight for the US fans to celebrate.
“I went straight over because the goal was for them, for the whole US,” he said. “My wife was there and my daughters and I dedicate the goal to them. I’m just very happy that they were there to support me.”
The San Luis defender, whose mother is from Durango and father from Querétaro, put the famous victory down to old-fashioned grunt work on the field.
“We fought from the first to the 90th minute,” said Orozco Fiscal, who was booed like all the Mexico-based American players upon entering the pitch. “A lot of players got the chance to prove themselves and that’s what we did today.”
Orozco Fiscal will hope that despite only playing 13 minutes, he is one of the players that did enough to earn a call up for next month’s World Cup qualifiers, but will focus in the short term on keeping up his form with San Luis.
“I’m going to go back to San Luis and prove myself,” he said. “I can’t stop here, I’ve got to keep improving and accomplishing my goals.”
