United States manager Maurico Pochettino has taken some positives despite losing the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico in Houston on Sunday, Afrosport reports.
The Americans were ahead after just four minutes through Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, but Mexico found their way back via Fulham’s Raul Jimenez and West Ham United’s Edson Alvarez to claim their record-extending 10th Gold Cup title.
While Pochettino admitted it was a painful defeat after a good run in the tournament on home soil, the Argentine tactician believes it was a good preparation ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup, which they will co-host with Mexico and Canada.
“It was a massive lesson for us. It was an amazing tournament to realise in the way that we wanted to grow,” he said.
“This is the way that I think we are going to find the way to compete better and better, and be very competitive and be in the place that we wanted to be.
“When you lose a trophy or you lose a game, it’s really, really painful. But the most important thing is to have our head up because I think the tournament was fantastic and we keep going, that is the way we want to build our journey into the World Cup.”
Keep going. Keep fighting. Keep pushing. pic.twitter.com/dHnUoPU9Ug
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) July 7, 2025
The US will next play Asian giants South Korea and Japan in friendly games in Harisson, New Jersey and Columbus, Ohio in September.
