I think the United States-Maxico rivalry is the best in international football. And it is useless to lose against your rivals.
We saw that when the US, a group of star players was missing on Sunday, lost in a more experienced Mexico team. Golden bowl Last. There is no moral victory. I don’t care how inexperience you are. I don’t care how young you are.
Saying that, this Gold Cup run was valuable for the United States manager Mauricio Pochtino, especially in 2026. World Cup.
Chris Richards and Malik Tilman performed the most of their gold cups. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photo/USSF/Getty Image)
Like players Diego Luna, Malik TilmanAnd Chris richards It is used to either move (or again). I also feel that Pochtino will be a big winner coming out of it, as I think they have created a new identity for this team.
So for players now Christian It was not here, when they come back, they have to live up to it. They have to be adjusted, not in another way.
I don’t like to lose. And America lost to a better Mexico team. They could not capture the huge swings of the game. And a real, real problem was up. Patrica agimang Started each game in the striker and scored two goals in this tournament, but when he was counted, he did not seize that moment.
And talking about confiscation of this moment, with all love and praise that we have given to Luna – and he deserves it because I think he is a star in making – you have to bring it when everyone is expecting you to bring it. He did not bring it on Sunday. he disappeared.
If he is the player we are excluding him, and I think he could be, he learned better than this. Because you cannot know the bed in these moments. Because he is not the stars do. So if you want to be a star, and you want all this attention, then you want to bring it in big days.
It was a cool Gold Cup final for Diego Luna after a series of magnificent games. (Photo by Robbie Ja Baret – AMA/Getty Images)
Who was standing? Who did not?
Tiillman was almost a known quantity in this tournament. We knew what he was, but he definitely carried it forward. And there is still a roof of how good he can be, so I don’t think he is tapped out.
I think Sebstian berhalterAlong with Luna, there are big winners in the case of players who did not spend much time with the first national team. I cannot tell the situation where none of them will be brought for the next camp in September.
If he wants to stay USMNT mix then Patrick Agyemang will need to pursue it. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photo/USSF/Getty Image)
And what about the status of the striker? Someone in Mexico tops Raul jimnez All this is going to take that pressure. He does not get enough credit for the skill that he has, the run he makes and the people who attracts the other location there, and then eventually score a round, what you have to do. He is rarely invisible in a game.
If the agamang had become invisible during the game and then scored, well, I will take it because the goal is the most important thing. But we are not doing this. I don’t know if he is going to happen anytime.
We have been for less than a year from the World Cup. We do not have a valid striker that we can trust, where the other team really has to plan a game for him, and it is a problem right now. Pocheto is going to find out this.
This team was fun to watch
I have said time and time again that there are no space for sports perspective. They are a place to go crazy and are full of emotions and get out of the things you are doing.
It was amazing to see this team that was thrown together, and I called them Missfits and a ragtag bunch, and they were – but it was fun to see them growing together, and in doing so, many people wanted what, and he had to take care of us.
And when they care, we care. And even if they lost the final, I have no doubt that these players cared for. They used to care from the moment when the whistle was played in the first game to ring the whistle, when the whistle was ringing to finish the tournament for them. And these people want.
It may have ended in disappointment, but Maurisio Pochtino and US Squad scored a memorable run in the Gold Cup final. (Photo by Robbie Ja Baret – AMA/Getty Images)
This year is going to go like this, and the World Cup is going to come here very soon. And this opportunity will be 100 times more when it comes to the Gold Cup. This is going to be for players who obtain incredible privilege to represent their country in a home World Cup. This is special. This is something that you will never forget.
But there is a responsibility, and at least in this summer, it was fun to see these players living for that responsibility and to believe people again in this team.
Alexi Lalas is a football analyst for Fox Sports and is the host of “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast”. He represented USMNT The 1994 FIFA was in the World Cup and a nine -year -old professional career. In 2006, he became the chairman of La Galaxy and helped David Beckham to bring it to the Major League soccer.
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