The eighth-ever Concacaf Gold Cup final between the United States men's national team and Mexico went exactly as expected: Intense right from the opening whistle.
The USMNT, which entered the tournament as underdogs due to its MLS-heavy roster, fell 2-1 to blood rival Mexico despite taking an early fourth-minute lead. Mexico scored two unanswered goals to win back-to-back Gold Cups and make it a tournament-record 10th title overall.
Mexico fans silenced (for 23 minutes)
It was a sellout at NRG Stadium, but Mexico fans dominated the 70,925 in attendance, creating a hostile environment for the USMNT. The young and inexperienced United States squad wasn't fazed, though, scoring first in the fourth minute to silence the El Tri faithful.
Sebastian Berhalter's free kick was headed home by Chris Richards, ending Mexico's 387-minute shutout streak that covered four games. It didn't look like the ball crossed the line at first glance, but referee Mario Escobar called it a goal.
Chris Richards scores his second goal at the Gold Cup | Courtesy FOX Soccer
That goal should look familiar to USMNT fans because it was almost identical to the one scored in the 1-0 win in the Group Stage against Saudi Arabia, when Berhalter's free kick found Richards, who put the ball in the back of the net. The only difference is that Richards scored that goal with his left foot instead of his head, like he did tonight.
The USMNT couldn't build off Richards's goal, letting Mexico settle into the game and equalize 23 minutes later. The goal came from dangerman Raúl Jiménez, who scored his third goal of the tournament.
Raúl Jiménez makes it 1-1 | Courtesy FOX Soccer
The Jiménez goal sparked life into the El Tri fans, who were significantly louder than the Stars and Stripes followers, making it feel like a home game for Mexico.
El Tri fans fired up | Courtesy FOX Soccer
Mexico came close to taking the lead several times, but New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese, playing in the biggest game of his career to date, made four crucial saves to keep the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Mexico dominates second half
Mexico carried the momentum into the final 45 minutes. The USMNT couldn't maintain possession and struggled to create chances, attempting just one shot in the first 42 minutes of the second half.
The pressure from Mexico paid off in the 79th minute, as they scored a fifth set piece goal of the tournament to take the lead, courtesy of Edson Álvarez.
Edson Álvarez puts Mexico ahead | Courtesy FOX Soccer
The goal was called offside at first but, after a VAR check, the decision was reversed and a goal given.
The USMNT turned to attacking subsitutes Brenden Aaronson, Damion Downs, and Jack McGlynn, but Mexico held on for the come-from-behind victory.
USMNT exceed expectations
The vibes around the USMNT were not good heading into the Gold Cup. The team was on a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2007, and star forward Christian Pulisic made things worse when he decided to skip the tournament to prioritize rest after playing 50 games in all competitions for AC Milan last season.
In addition, key starters Folarin Balogun, Sergiño Dest, and Antonee Robinson were also absent due to injuries, while Weston McKennie and Tim Weah missed the tournament to play in the FIFA Club World Cup for Juventus.
This forced Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino to look elsewhere, giving young players like Patrick Agyemang, Max Arfsten, Berhalter, Alex Freeman, Diego Luna, and Malik Tillman starting roles to see what they're made of.
It's fair to say that some of these previously unfamiliar names made the most of their opportunity. Arfsten and Freeman played a big role next to veteran centerbacks Tim Ream — the oldest USMNT player by far at 37 years old — and Richards.
Agyemang scored two goals and Berhalter notched two assists — both to Richards. But 21-year-old Luna and 23-year-old Tillman made the most headlines, both recording three goals and two assists — the duo seem to have already penciled their names into next year's World Cup squad.
The USMNT wasn't expected to win the Gold Cup — they were playing with house money in Sunday's final. It may not seem like a successful tournament, but in hindsight, Pochettino found hungry, talented players that could make an impact at next summer's highly-anticipated World Cup.
