Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
HOUSTON — The objective of the U.S. men’s national team on Sunday was to win a trophy. It would be against chief rival Mexico, a team featuring its top players and in front of a sellout crowd of 70,000 of mostly El Tri fans at NRG Stadium.
They didn’t get it. And now comes the hard part.
But we’ll get to that. Mexico claimed a 2-1 victory at Sunday’s Concacaf Gold Cup final – even if it came with controversy. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino contended that they should’ve been awarded a second-half penalty kick with the score still knotted at one. Still, Mexico thoroughly dominated the match.
Despite the loss, this summer was a clear win for Pochettino and his shorthanded squad, one that was missing Christian Pulisic and about a dozen other regulars over the last five weeks.
It also sends a clear message. Especially with the biggest test of them all looming – the 2026 World Cup on home soil in less than a year.
“It has to translate right away, or I think Mauricio just probably won’t call people in,” said heart-and-soul U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, one of just a handful of World Cup roster locks in this group along with fellow mainstays like Chris Richards, Malik Tillman and Tim Ream.
The U.S. came up short at the Gold Cup. It’s now all eyes toward next year’s biggest of them all – the World Cup. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Entering this Gold Cup having lost four consecutive matches for the first time in nearly two decades, the USMNT reeled off five straight wins to reach Sunday’s final. More importantly, they showed resilience, character and pride — qualities that have been missing all too often since the 2022 World Cup.
“I think we understand what the standard is now,” Ream said. “We understand what we need to do on and off the field. We understand what kind of culture is wanted from us. It took a little bit longer than it probably should have.”
Better late than never. The arrival of Pochettino, the highly regarded former Chelsea, Tottenham and PSG boss, was a shock to the system for a squad that was the second youngest at Qatar 2022. Most of the players had never had a national team coach other than Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after the Americans’ dismal showing at last summer’s U.S.-hosted Copa América.
Pochettino is old-school. He demands total commitment from every player, and he was shocked by both the USMNT’s fourth-place finish at the Nations League finals in March and the fact that several players, most notably star man Pulisic, asked to skip this Gold Cup on the back of that failure.
With some of their European-based standouts missing, Pochettino selected an MLS-heavy roster. What they lacked in pedigree they made up for with hunger and desire. Some, like attacker Diego Luna, have now cemented their World Cup places, if not starting spots. But to succeed on the biggest stage in sports next summer, Pochettino will need all of his top guys present and fully bought-in. It’s on them to prove that they are.
Diego Luna likely solidified his World Cup roster spot alongside Tyler Adams, while Alex Freeman gained some valuable experience. (Photo by Aric Becker/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
“There’s a few non-negotiables from now on,” said center back Richards, who scored the only U.S. goal on Sunday.
“When the guys come back into camp, I think these are some things that we have to hold each other accountable for, and hopefully moving forward, if we can add a little bit more quality to it as well, I think that we’re going to be a really tough team to beat.”
‘They’re No Longer Inexperienced’
Ahead of next year’s big test, time isn’t on this team’s side. While the Americans will play 10 tune-up matches between now and their 2026 World Cup opener, all will come during short, 10-day, two-game FIFA windows.
They’ll have to hit the ground running when they reconvene in September for a pair of exhibitions with South Korea and Japan. If the regulars aren’t ready, the players behind them will be.
Young fullbacks Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman weren’t perfect during the Gold Cup, but both improved tremendously. Sebastian Berhalter had a pair of key assists in the knockout stage. Luna was a revelation throughout, even if he was mostly held in check on Sunday.
“We are getting loads of experience for these guys,” said Ream. “I said it to a few of them the other day after the first knockout game: They’re no longer inexperienced. They’ve taken everything on board for the past five weeks, and it’s been impressive to see all of them adapt and learn on the fly and contribute in big ways.”
Mexico Defeats USMNT: Instant analysis following Gold Cup Final matchup | FOX Soccer
It wasn’t just the youngsters, either. Ream, who’ll turn 38 in September, won a starting job next to Richards and would be a starter if the World Cup began today. Tillman and midfielder Luca De La Torre enjoyed their longest run of USMNT games yet. With bigger names absent, they were also forced to take on bigger roles off the field.
“Chris Richards, for example, has stepped up in more of a vocal role in terms of leading, making sure guys are doing the right things, making sure guys are in the right positions,” Ream said. “Malik is another one. Quietest guy ever but leading by example.
“To unearth more of those within this group has been a really big positive and something that gives all of us a good foundation moving forward that can help anybody who comes into camp from here on out.”
Most of the Gold Cup absentees will be back. It’s inevitable. But they’ll only return on Pochettino’s terms, and they’ll find a stronger, more grizzled supporting cast when they do.
Meantime, the coach won’t soon forget the guys who were there this summer, and who exceeded most pre-tourney expectations. That goes for everyone from Adams, the U.S. captain at the 2022 World Cup, to third-string keeper Chris Brady.
“At the end of the season, to be quite fair I was drained,” said Adams, who plays for Bournemouth in England’s Premier League. “But mentally, I wanted to grind and be a role model for so many of the guys here, because I love playing for this team and this country.
“I told every single player after the game how proud I was — not just of the growth of every single individual, but as a team.”
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