The U.S. men’s national team’s winning run at the CONCACAF Gold Cup came to an end at the hands of its biggest rivals and although lifting the trophy would have provided a major confidence boost for the program, head coach Mauricio Pochettino still believes there is a benefit from losing in the tournament final.
Sunday’s 2-1 final loss to rivals Mexico ended the USMNT’s five-match winning streak this summer and also handed El Tri their second-consecutive Gold Cup title. Despite an early goal from centerback Chris Richards, the USMNT were pegged back by Raul Jimenez’s 10th-career Gold Cup tally before Edson Alvarez’s go-ahead goal late in the second half handed Mexico the eventual win.
In what was the Americans’ final competitive match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, they failed to overcome the pressure that Mexico provided throughout the match. Pochettino praised his team’s effort throughout the tournament and believes the defeat is just as important than if his squad were victorious on the night.
“It’s a massive lesson for us, I think it’s priceless,” Pochettino said postmatch. “I think it was an amazing tournament to realize in the way that we wanted to grow … [but it’s also] a night that is a very, very painful night, because when you lose a trophy, or you lose a game, it’s really, really painful.
“But the most important thing is to have our heads up,” he added.
The USMNT came into the summer missing several of their key players including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah. Without many of their star players, the USMNT were led by veterans such as Tim Ream, the aforementioned Richards, Tyler Adams, and Luca De La Torre.
In addition, young players such as Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, Alex Freeman, and Patrick Agyemang were given new opportunities this summer and provided some positive moments in leading the USMNT to the final. While many players were taking part in their first competitive tournament for the program, Ream admitted that more patience was needed against an experienced side like Mexico.
“We’re disappointed obviously to not come away with a win,” Ream said during his postmatch interview on FOX.
“[We needed] A little bit of calm in some moments, “he added. “We started out really well and then, obviously, they get a spell in the game and the second part of that first half, just a little bit of that calmness when we won the ball to try to move them around a little bit more.”
The USMNT struck first in the match, but overall struggled to consistent call Mexico goalkeeper Luis Malagon into question. Malagon made two saves in comparison to Matt Freese’s six, capturing the tournament’s Golden Glove award for his four clean sheets.
Mexico got away with a potential handball in the second half as defender Jorge Sanchez looked to have touched the ball in the box before falling down in a one-on-one battle. VAR did not intervene on the play before eventually overturning Alvarez’s go-ahead goal with 12 minutes to play.
Pochettino voiced his frustration with the decision, admitting that if it was the USMNT at fault, the penalty decision would have been given.
“The truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it’s a penalty,” Pochettino said. “The player was with a knee on the floor, he pushed the hand over the ball. It’s not that the hand was [already] on the floor, and the ball touched.
“For me, it was embarrassing to see that situation and it’s a shame,” he added. “I understand that maybe 70,000 people [in the stands], you know, giving this penalty, it’s not easy.”
The USMNT will have to pick their heads up and look towards the future now with only five international windows remaining before World Cup play begins. South Korea and Japan oppose the Americans in a pair of September friendlies before later fall matches will be finalized to continue their hard work for 2026.
While losing the Gold Cup Final isn’t the worst thing to happen to the program in recent time, winning the competition could play crucial in their mentality going forward.
