The U.S. men's national team takes on Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday, July 6 in Mauricio Pochettino's biggest test yet as head coach.
Morale was as low as it could be after international friendlies Türkiye and Switzerland prior to the tournament starting. It's been somewhat restored and tested throughout the Gold Cup after a perfect group stage, but shaky results against Costa Rica and Guatemala in the knockout stage.
Pochettino's first attempt at a trophy, the Concacaf Nations League, couldn't have gone worse with deflating losses to Panama and then Canada in the subsequent third place match. His first final represents the biggest opportunity to prove doubters wrong and build toward the 2026 World Cup in a big way. Not to mention, his first showing against Mexico highlighted the work cut out for him.
Adding silverware, learning a lot about the depth within his team, defeating their biggest rival, everything is at stake this final.
Here's how the USMNT could line up against Mexico in the Gold Cup final.
