Gold Cup Final: US Faces Question of Belief or Nerves Ahead of World Cup

The United States' Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico, decided by a 2-1 scoreline, has left fans questioning the progress of the team under manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine coach, who took charge in September 2024, was disappointed with the refereeing decisions and the lack of home-field advantage, with the majority of the NRG Stadium crowd in Houston supporting Mexico. The loss marks the end of the US's hopes of lifting the trophy in their own country.

A win against Mexico would have delivered a much-needed trophy and a boost in self-belief, but Pochettino's side was unable to clinch it. The Argentine coach believes that the support of the home crowd could have made a significant difference in the outcome. "When you have their support, you regenerate the player's energy on the field, and when you don't, you drain their energy," Pochettino said after the game.

The defeat follows a series of mixed results for the US under Pochettino, with the team losing all five matches against a team in the top 30 of Fifa's rankings. With the home World Cup next summer, the US should have some clarity in their preparations, but there remains an unfinished, rocky feel to the foundations they have been laying.

The Gold Cup has allowed the players to spend 40 days together to establish the principles of what Pochettino wants, and this has been helpful. "It was important to see players crying after losing; it makes me happy because that's how this sport should feel," Pochettino said. Star players such as Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun were unavailable due to injury, Club World Cup commitments, and fatigue.

Some players have made a good case for inclusion in next summer's 26-man squad. Diego Luna, a 21-year-old energetic playmaker, has come into his own in the Gold Cup, while goalkeeper Matt Freese has impressed throughout the tournament. Freese's penalty shootout heroics against Costa Rica in the quarter-final have done his chances of a World Cup call-up no harm.

Pochettino needs to turn this work in progress into a fully prepared first-choice team ahead of the World Cup. The Gold Cup has been a useful exercise, but sooner rather than later, the US needs to show more consistency and build momentum to compete at the highest level.

As the host nation, the US will have the opportunity to showcase their team and their support to the world. The Gold Cup has provided a platform for the team to build towards that goal, but there is still work to be done.

The US will now turn their attention to the Nations League finals in June 2026, where they will face Mexico, Costa Rica, and Honduras in a three-team tournament. This will be an opportunity to continue building towards the World Cup and solidifying their first-choice team before the big event.

The US's World Cup preparations are far from over, and Pochettino will be looking to use the Nations League finals and friendly matches to further develop his squad and instill the belief needed to compete on the world stage next summer.