U.S., Mexico meet in classic final

CHICAGO >> Remember the U.S. men’s soccer team? It’s also playing for a trophy on Sunday, taking on Mexico at Soldier Field in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Gone from the sports consciousness since its 2017 loss at Trinidad and Tobago ended a streak of seven straight World Cup appearances, the men’s program is trying to regroup under new coach Gregg Berhalter.

The American women play the Netherlands and are livid to share the spotlight with the Copa America final between host Brazil and Peru and the U.S. men seeking their seventh Gold Cup title at 9:15 p.m.

“I look at it differently. I think that this is an opportunity to be Soccer Day in America,” Berhalter said. “When you think about the opportunity for the women to win the World Cup in the morning and then you get to I think party for half the afternoon, then you get to take a little nap, and then you get up, you go to the game and you enjoy the final of Gold Cup.”

The men have outscored opponents 15-1 in five matches, while the women have a 24-3 advantage in six.

“Our whole focus is on us,” forward Jordan Morris said. “We’re wishing them all the best, of course, and we want them to win the championship, as well, but we don’t think about that too much, just really what we can do to come out and win our game.”

He would have preferred not to play on the same day. “Ideally I guess that would be great that they get their own focus being in a World Cup final and we’ll get our own and Copa America gets their own,” Morris said.