United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann said his team was left angry and disappointed after a gut-wrenching 2-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio.
The U.S. had clawed a goal back early in the second half to draw level after a 20th-minute strike from Mexico's Miguel Layun had the visitors in the lead.
However, a late Rafa Marquez header from a corner kick in the 89th minute gave Mexico its first win in World Cup qualifying on U.S. soil since 1972 and an important three points to begin the Hexagonal phase of CONCACAF qualifying.
The loss heaps pressure on Klinsmann's team ahead of its second qualifier away to Costa Rica on Tuesday -- a place the U.S. has never won a meaningful match.
Following the match, Klinsmann told a news conference: "I think there's a sense of anger in us, there's a sense of, absolutely, urgency. Because, you don't want to be behind. And Costa Rica won tonight.
"All these qualifying games are difficult and that's what the players are prepared for. If they play that way like in that second half [against Mexico], I'm not worried."
Indeed, the U.S. did look strong throughout the second half, with Wood and Christian Pulisic the main protagonists for a host side that looked likely to find an eventual winner.
However, the opening 25 minutes -- when Mexico was clearly the team on the front foot -- left the door open to criticism of Klinsmann's tactics after the U.S. boss elected to start the match in a rarely used 3-5-2 formation.
Klinsmann played down the tactical issues when speaking to reporters, saying the team had trained to play that way and that losing out on individual midfield battles was the root of the team's early issues, not tactics.
"It took us a while to get into the game," Klinsmann said. "We switched back to 4-4-2 after a little bit to correct some things because in the beginning our midfielders didn't get into the one-on-one battles that we expected them to get into.
"And the second half was outstanding. The only thing that was missing was a couple of goals. It could've gone either way but the end it went towards their way, but it was a very intense, exciting, really good quality battle."
Despite the disappointment, though, Klinsmann is optimistic about his team's chances for the Tuesday trip to the Estadio Nacional to face a Costa Rica team that saw off Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 on Friday.
"The message is very simple: We have to go down there and get a result, which we will do," Klinsmann said. "It's the first of 10 qualifying games. It's obviously the big one -- Mexico is the biggest one we play.
"But we always know that when we play Mexico it's a nail biter and sometimes it goes their way and the other times it goes our way.
"I told them we're going to into Costa Rica and then in the summertime we can't wait to go to Azteca Stadium [to face Mexico] and go for it right there in their home."
ESPN FC writer Doug McIntyre contributed to this report.