On the eve of possibly the most infamous date of this American generation, the United States men’s national soccer team had some business to attend to.

Over the past two weeks, various countries across the world have been playing soccer matches in a near final push to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in the summer of 2014. U.S.A. was up against its most storied rival, Mexico. With a win for the U.S. and a loss or draw by both Panama and Costa Rica on the same night, the U.S. would clinch a World Cup berth with two more qualifying games to play.

Looking to clinch the World Cup berth, the Americans welcomed Mexico to Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio for a World Cup qualifying game.

Crew Stadium has proven to be a fortress for the USMNT, who has not lost in its previous nine matches there. Three of those victories have come against Mexico with 2-0 results on all three occasions. This has produced the familiar mantra “Dos A Cero” (“two to zero” in Mexican).

The U.S. suffered a loss to Costa Rica the week prior, snapping an iconic 12-match unbeaten streak, which was the longest in U.S. men’s program history and at the time the longest current streak in the world. Mexico came seemingly without a horse coming into the game without a victory on their home soil in 2013. They’ve only claimed one win the final stage of world cup qualification.

MORE: What sports offer America in a time of tragedy

It was also the Mexican team’s first match for newly named manager, Luis Fernando Tena, after they dropped its former manager because of the aforementioned cold streak.

As for the game itself, the U.S. started of very slow and sloppy and played some very inaccurate long balls while Mexico threaded together a few fluid counter attacks that resulted in two unsuccessful corners.

By the 20-minute mark, the U.S. defense found its legs and started tracking back and defending well as a unit. When there was room for a shot, Tim Howard’s gloves were able to suppress the Mexican assault.

On a corner kick around the 30th minute, forward Eddie Johnson was able to rise above the defense and smash a header that seemed to be in the back of the net, but the quick reflexes of Mexican goalkeeper Jesus Corona kept the score line level. This attempt and the effort of the American midfielders making wider runs proved a sign of things to come as the teams headed into the tunnel for halftime.

Although the back four for the U.S. had played solid in the first 45 minutes, manager Jurgen Klinsmann put Michael Parkhurst in at right back for Fabian Johnson. The U.S. got a quick start to the second half as Eddie Johnson once again out-jumped the Mexican defense and finally nodded in a goal, which was seemingly a carbon copy of the corner kick attempt from the first half.

Eddie suffered a head injury from a nasty fall and would come out later in the game, but his damage had already been done.

Mix Diskerud, the young Norwegian-American, came into the midfield and pushed captain Clint Dempsey up to forward. Three minutes later, Diskerud’s presence was felt as he made a beautiful touch around Mexico’s scrambling back line and placed a perfect low cross to the back door where Landon Donovan was able to tap in a second goal for the U.S.

The scoring opportunities where not finished, however. Dempsey was brought down in the penalty box on the last possession of the game and a penalty kick was in order. Dempsey curled the ball just over the bar, missing high right, and the iconic score line stood “Dos A Cero.”

Columbus was buzzing after the victory. The team went back into the locker room to watch the other two games, but after Panama lost to Jamaica and Costa Rica drew with Honduras 2-2, it was assured: the U.S. would be going to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

The U.S. takes on Jamaica next in Kansas City on Oct. 11. They finish qualifying games against Panama in Panama City on Oct. 15.