U.S. misses chance for statement in 1-0 loss
CHICAGO — Long before the game’s kickoff, this match against Mexico carried weight for the U.S. men’s team thanks to the opponent, the Americans’ southern rival and a regional soccer power.
Then toss in these stakes, a CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy waiting to be delivered to one of the teams.
These teams have met six times in this tournament’s final, but this year’s edition held additional value, too: a chance to establish confidence in a program playing in the shadows of failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. But the U.S. team couldn’t top Mexico, the team that entered the tournament as the favorite, in a 1-0 loss at Solider Field on Sunday.
Mexico had looked like the more dangerous team and then broke through in the 73rd minute when Jonathan dos Santos scored off a back-heel pass from Raul Jimenez. On the goal, the ball barely hit the crossbar and bounced into the net.
Thousands of Mexico supporters flocked toward Soldier Field hours in advance, greeting the U.S. team playing in Chicago with boos and filling the stadium with Mexican flags as kickoff approached.
Before the final, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said his staff has watched every game Mexico has played since Gerardo Martino, the former coach of 2018 MLS champion Atlanta United, took over the program at the beginning of the year. Both national teams, which have combined to win 13 of 14 Gold Cup titles, are navigating similar circumstances this year with new coaches.
The teams played a scoreless first half, but the U.S. had a few opportunities it couldn’t convert. Christian Pulisic had an early attempt saved by Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa. Soon afterward, Jozy Altidore sent the ball to the right of the post when he had a chance to score against a goalkeeper heading to the ground.
The U.S. later failed to take advantage of Mexico’s defensive miscommunication in the 31st minute. Ochoa had moved away from the net, expecting to grab the ball, but Paul Arriola got a foot on it, leading to a difficult shot, but one that featured an open net, that rolled just outside the left post. Early in the second half, Jordan Morris tried to head in a ball from close range off a corner kick, but Mexico’s Andres Guardado blocked the shot on the line.
When the U.S. started to chase the game, the Americans had a couple of chances off corner kicks, but the Mexican defense kept the U.S. out of the net.
Throughout this tournament, each game has added a layer of judgement about this American team: How well have these players learned their new roles in Berhalter’s system? And how well will it work? Some games have showed promise. Other moments have illuminated concerns.
The U.S. didn’t concede a goal until late in the match against Jamaica, the team’s fifth game of the tournament, but it also had some disjointed showings. The Americans’ semifinal win over Jamaica, the one that propelled them to this final, showcased bursts of cohesion among the group and leaned on key contributions from the team’s young stars, Pulisic and Weston McKennie.
For the final, Berhalter called on the same starting lineup as the semifinal game in Nashville, Tenn., where the U.S. jumped out to an electrifying start that could only be hampered by a 90-minute lightning delay.
But against Mexico, the Americans’ toughest challenger since Berhalter took over in December, the U.S. couldn’t rise to the level of its rival.
Berhalter has said the goal of this tournament was to win the title, not just to reach this final or to embrace meaningful progress. Before the game, McKennie said winning this final would be a way to show that “this is who we are and this is who we want to be and this is how we want to work with things going forward.”
That’s what this Gold Cup final could have been: A marquee, confidence-building night in this new era of U.S. men’s soccer.
But instead, the group will leave this tournament with performances that suggested improvement, but a final night in Chicago that left this team off the top tier.