The U.S. males’s nationwide workforce’s profitable run on the CONCACAF Gold Cup got here to an finish by the hands of its largest rivals and though lifting the trophy would have supplied a significant confidence enhance for this system, head coach Mauricio Pochettino nonetheless believes there’s a profit from dropping within the match ultimate.
Sunday’s 2-1 ultimate loss to rivals Mexico ended the USMNT’s five-match profitable streak this summer time and likewise handed El Tri their second-consecutive Gold Cup title. Regardless of an early objective from centerback Chris Richards, the USMNT had been pegged again by Raul Jimenez’s Tenth-career Gold Cup tally earlier than Edson Alvarez’s go-ahead objective late within the second half handed Mexico the eventual win.
In what was the Individuals’ ultimate aggressive match earlier than the 2026 FIFA World Cup subsequent summer time, they failed to beat the stress that Mexico supplied all through the match. Pochettino praised his workforce’s effort all through the match and believes the defeat is simply as necessary than if his squad had been victorious on the evening.
“It’s an enormous lesson for us, I believe it’s priceless,” Pochettino mentioned postmatch. “I believe it was a tremendous match to understand in the way in which that we needed to develop … [but it’s also] an evening that may be a very, very painful evening, as a result of while you lose a trophy, otherwise you lose a recreation, it’s actually, actually painful.
“However an important factor is to have our heads up,” he added.
The USMNT got here into the summer time lacking a number of of their key gamers together with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah. With out a lot of their star gamers, the USMNT had been led by veterans akin to Tim Ream, the aforementioned Richards, Tyler Adams, and Luca De La Torre.
As well as, younger gamers akin to Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, Alex Freeman, and Patrick Agyemang got new alternatives this summer time and supplied some optimistic moments in main the USMNT to the ultimate. Whereas many gamers had been participating of their first aggressive match for this system, Ream admitted that extra endurance was wanted towards an skilled aspect like Mexico.
“We’re disenchanted clearly to not come away with a win,” Ream mentioned throughout his postmatch interview on FOX.
“[We needed] Just a little little bit of calm in some moments, “he added. “We began out rather well after which, clearly, they get a spell within the recreation and the second a part of that first half, just a bit little bit of that calmness once we received the ball to attempt to transfer them round somewhat bit extra.”
The USMNT struck first within the match, however general struggled to constant name Mexico goalkeeper Luis Malagon into query. Malagon made two saves compared to Matt Freese’s six, capturing the match’s Golden Glove award for his 4 clear sheets.
Mexico acquired away with a possible handball within the second half as defender Jorge Sanchez seemed to have touched the ball within the field earlier than falling down in a one-on-one battle. VAR didn’t intervene on the play earlier than finally overturning Alvarez’s go-ahead objective with 12 minutes to play.
Pochettino voiced his frustration with the choice, admitting that if it was the USMNT at fault, the penalty determination would have been given.
“The reality was that if that occurred within the reverse half, within the different field, for positive it’s a penalty,” Pochettino mentioned. “The participant was with a knee on the ground, he pushed the hand over the ball. It’s not that the hand was [already] on the ground, and the ball touched.
“For me, it was embarrassing to see that state of affairs and it’s a disgrace,” he added. “I perceive that perhaps 70,000 folks [in the stands], you recognize, giving this penalty, it’s not simple.”
The USMNT should decide their heads up and look in the direction of the longer term now with solely 5 worldwide home windows remaining earlier than World Cup play begins. South Korea and Japan oppose the Individuals in a pair of September friendlies earlier than later fall matches might be finalized to proceed their arduous work for 2026.
Whereas dropping the Gold Cup Ultimate isn’t the worst factor to occur to this system in current time, profitable the competitors may play essential of their mentality going ahead.