U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino addressed the team and staff ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup Final. He thanked the players for making it to this point and the staff for supporting the team along the way. Pochettino also shared a dream he had.
“It was about winning and lifting the trophy,” midfielder Malik Tillman said. “So, if you believe in that [dream], I think we have a good chance to do this.”
Pochettino looks to earn his first title at the helm of the USMNT after he was hired less than a year ago.
Before the USA fulfills the dream, the Americans will have to go through their biggest rival, Mexico. The match kicks off from NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
Here are five things to know for the Gold Cup Final:
1. The Rivalry Continues
When one thinks of soccer rivalries, the first image to pop up is more than likely USMNT vs. Mexico. The two teams have sparred 78 times, the most of any USA opponent.
El Tri holds a 37-24-17 record over the USA. They’ve met in the Gold Cup eight times, seven in the final. The USMNT won the most recent matchup between the two teams in 2021 after Miles Robinson scored the game-winner in extra time. However, Mexico has won five of those seven finals. The other USA win came in 2007.
Mexico holds the most Gold Cup titles with nine, as the USA looks to earn its eighth. These two nations have dominated Concacaf’s premier tournament, with only one of the 18 total finals not featuring at least one of the squads.
2. Starting Fast
The USA, thanks to midfielder Diego Luna, got off to a lightning-fast start in the quarterfinal versus Mexico. Luna scored in the fourth minute, then he capped off a brace in the 15th minute, putting the United States in position to win 2-1.
Eight of the last 10 finals — both Gold Cup and Nations League — between the USMNT and Mexico have been won by the team that scored first. However, if there should be a comeback, it’s happened twice in history, both times coming from the USA side in the 2021 Nations League and the 2007 Gold Cup.
Starting fast is always the objective, but it may be even more important in this one to swing momentum toward the USA. In the quarterfinal, Luna’s two goals quieted the many Guatemala supporters in the crowd. It will likely be a similar situation at NRG Stadium with Mexico fans.
3. Final Gold Cup?
It’s been the first Gold Cup for several young players, but it also could be the last for a USMNT stalwart. Tim Ream, 37, has captained this squad for every match of this tournament, and he’s looking to finish it by lifting the trophy.
“I've been in this program for 15 years,” Ream said. “It's my fourth Gold Cup. I've not won one, and this more than likely is my last Gold Cup. So, to be able to win one, have it be my last,I'm excited.”
Ream has been to two Gold Cup Finals in 2011 and 2019. Both were losses to Mexico.
4. Underdogs
For the first time in this tournament, the USMNT enter a match as underdogs with the majority picking the reigning Gold Cup and Nations League champions, Mexico, to win. But the USA is comfortable with that. Many weren't sure the U.S., with a relatively inexperienced team with several young players, would even make it this far.
However, that’s not what’s motivating the U.S. As players spoke to the media Saturday, the large gold trophy sat on a podium off to the side, and that is what’s fueling them to come out with a win.
“It's one game to lift a trophy,” Ream said. “It doesn't matter if you're the underdog or you're the favorite. You still have to go out there and play at least 90 minutes to finish a game. And for us, that's all the motivation we need — is that that trophy right there.
5. Journey to the Final
The USMNT got to the final through Group D, beating Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti to finish the group matches with nine points. Then, the USA knocked out Costa Rica in an epic penalty shootout in the quarterfinal and defeated Guatemala 2-1 in the semifinal.
Mexico finished No. 1 in Group A, defeating the Dominican Republic, Suriname and drawing with Costa Rica. Mexico won the group’s tiebreaker over Costa Rica by scoring one more goal in the group stage. Then,El Tri outlasted Panama in penalties in the quarterfinal and took down Honduras 1-0 in the semis.
Luna and midfielder Malik Tillman lead the USA in scoring so far this tournament with three goals apiece. They both added two assists as well, which is tied for second in the tournament. Defender Max Arfsten leads the category with three assists.
Defender César Montes, with three goals, leads the way for Mexico’s squad. Forward Raúl Jiménez has added two, including the go-ahead score in the semifinal.
