U.S.-Mexico Gold Cup final preview, predictions, more - ESPN

Sunday will mark the latest chapter in the United States and Mexico rivalry as the pair meet in Houston's NRG Stadium to determine the winner of the 2025 Gold Cup. Despite having less than ideal preparations — they both lost emphatically to Switzerland, with the U.S. being defeated by Turkey and El Tri beating them 1-0 — the pair have navigated through through this Concacaf competition.

The U.S. gained momentum as the tournament went on with a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, a 1-0 success over Saudi Arabia and a 2-1 victory over Haiti. This set up a quarterfinal date with Costa Rica, in which Mauricio Pochettino's side emerged after a sudden-death penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw. That resulted in a semifinal against Guatemala, with the U.S. prevailing 2-1.

Meanwhile, Mexico shrugged off a nervy 3-2 win over Dominican Republic with a 2-0 win over Suriname and a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica ahead of a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. From there, a Raúl Jiménez goal was enough to send Mexico into the final at Honduras' expense, bringing us to Sunday's epic encounter.

So, with the stage set for the final, ESPN reporters at the Gold Cup chime in on the major talking points surrounding Sunday's clash.

Pochettino has done precious little rotation during the Gold Cup. Seven players have started every match, with another three in the XI for four of the five. When there was a week break between the group stage and the knockout rounds, Pochettino's lineup choices didn't raise too many concerns, but after a semifinal in which the U.S. had just 46% possession in the second half, it's worth asking if the USMNT is out of gas.

It certainly looked like it. Striker Patrick Agyemang appeared to be running on fumes after