Alexi Lalas: U.S. Men's Team Forged New Identity Despite Gold Cup Loss

I think the United States-Mexico rivalry is the best in international soccer. And it sucks to lose against your rivals. 

We saw that on Sunday when the U.S., missing a bunch of star players, lost to a more experienced Mexico team in the Gold Cup final. There are no moral victories. I don't care how inexperienced you are. I don't care how young you are. 

Having said that, this Gold Cup run was valuable for United States manager Mauricio Pochettino, especially heading into the 2026 World Cup.

Chris Richards and Malik Tillman made the most of their Gold Cup appearances. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

Players like Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, and Chris Richards used it to either establish (or re-establish) themselves going forward. I also think Pochettino will be a big winner coming out of this, because I think he has created a new identity for this team going forward. 

So now for the players like Christian Pulisic that weren't here, when they come back, they have to live up to that. They have to adjust, not the other way around. 

I don't like losing. And the U.S. lost to a better Mexico team. They couldn't get possession in huge swaths of the game. And there was a real, real problem up top. Patrick Agyemang started every single game at striker and got two goals at this tournament, but he didn't seize the moment when it counted.

And speaking of seizing the moment, with all the love and the praise that we have given to Luna –  and he deserves it because I think he is a star in the making –  you have to bring it when everybody is expecting you to bring it. He didn't bring it on Sunday. He disappeared.

If he is the player that we're making him out to be, and I do think he can be, he had better learn from