NASHVILLE -- Mexico's 18-year-old forward Diego Lainez was not offended by U.S. defender Matt Miazga appearing to make fun of his height during the second half of the United States' 1-0 victory over El Tri on Tuesday.
The game threatened to spill over in the 65th minute as 6-foot-4 defender Miazga squared up to 5-5 Lainez and made a gesture seeming to mock the height difference between the two, but Lainez brushed it off.
"We aren't all going to be the same height," Lainez told reporters after the game. "Some of us are smaller, others very tall and others in the middle, but [the incident] is nothing, totally to do with football."
"It doesn't offend me in any way. Everyone has their own way of thinking. He's here at home with his fans. I don't know. I'm calm and I don't see it as an insult."
Angel Zaldivar was handed a red card two minutes later for a late tackle on U.S. midfielder Wil Trapp, but it was the Lainez-Miazga incident that was the talking point of the game, with Lainez pointing out that being tall doesn't equate to being good.
"It's separate," the Club America player said. "Every player has a different skill set and [I have] to keep going in the same direction."
Lainez confirmed that Miazga didn't apologize for the incident, but said he wasn't expecting him to, with both teams leaving the pitch quickly.
Tyler Adams scored the only goal for the United States in the 71st minute, with Mexico down to 10 men.
Zaldivar said after the game that he didn't think he should've received a red card, indicating he slipped when attempting to tackle Trapp. Mexico coach Ricardo Ferretti suggested that, given it was a friendly, a yellow card for Zaldivar would've sufficed.
