Houston – There are two ways to consider this version of the national team for the American men before Sunday Gold Cup Conclusion against Mexico’s blood competition (coverage begins at 6 pm on Fox and Fox SPORTS App).
On the one hand, this short team that lacks up to eight players is likely to be in the start of coach Mauricio Pochettino when he opens Usmnt 2026 World Cup In Los Angeles next summer, it has already been overcome. When the regional championship began on June 13, few believed that they would seriously work on the title. Lipre remains Betrayals favorite.
A large crowd mostly operated with Lipre Supporters are expected to fill 72,000 NRG stadium seats. The United States plays home money. For them, the tournament was already successful.
This is not how Poittino and his team seen at all.
“We need to find a way to win.” ChelseaParis Saint -Germain and Tottenham The director said on the eve of Sunday’s decision. “What will be on the memory of people is what will win tomorrow. Who is the second, will not remember anyone.
“Gold Cup final was the goal.” “The next step is winning. This is the most important thing.”
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It is logical that the Argentine is not the same for moral victories. after Christian Polisic Most of the other regular people lost both games in the Concacaf Nations League in March, and the assembly of Poittino is the MLS The Construction Group Tyler Adams And defenders Tim Reem and Chris Richards In addition to rising stars such as Diego Luna and Tellman owner And shipping them by restoring the battle, which was often lost since the 2022 World Cup.
The team responded by going 3-0 in the group stage, then Costa Rica and Guatemala excelled to reach Sunday. Mexico will form the most difficult test yet.
“We have proven that we can surprise people, but at the end of the day, the goal is to win,” the goalkeeper said. Freiz diedWho started instead of the job job Matt Turner This summer. “We have not proven what we want to prove yet, and therefore the job has not ended.”
Competition will not be easy. Mexico won the Nations League under the leadership of the new/old coach, Javier Agiri. They lead it Fulham attacker Raul JiminizIt can be said that the best striker in Concacaf along with Canada Jonathan David.
Richards, who faces him regularly in Premier League.
Raul Jiminies and Mexico will be the favorite of Houston on Sunday. (Ama/Getty Images)
As they do whenever they play north Rio Grande, Mexico will pack the house – this time, Houston Texas in the American Football Association – and transforms the cavernous inner square into a sea of green shirts.
Add everything, which is an ideal rehearsal for the World Cup next summer.
“It is good for us,” Poittino said. “This will be the last game that we will play under pressure. To play under pressure is what the team needs.
“We were already qualified for the World Cup” [as co-hosts]Poittino added. “Games that we will play after they are friendly games, so it is important to have a difficult scenario to feel pressure, to feel pressure. Because the World Cup will be about feeling pressure and stress.”
The World Cup will also be about winning. While seizing the title next summer, it is almost certain that the hope in the deep round in 2026. On Sunday, Mexico overcame this optimism among fans.
Why can’t they do that? After all, there is a precedent there. Four years ago, another USMnt disturbed almost full suppression Lipre In the 2021 Gold Cup final. It was a sign of how things were defeated in the main event. The United States used momentum to reach a 16th round of the 2022 World Cup the following year. Meanwhile, Mexico crashed into the group stage QatarFailure to advance to a 16 -year round for decades.
However, on Sunday it will celebrate an unfamiliar experience of many younger Americans, most of whom have not participated in the United States and Mexico match.
“I am very excited to go there and play in a game I dreamed of since I was a young child,” said Luna, who has scored three goals so far in the Gold Cup Golden Boot. “Being an American is a Mexican, he is in my blood.”
Diego Luna is ready to challenge Mexico. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/ICON SPORTSWIRE via Getty Images)
The opportunity was not lost on the oldest heads. Just ask Ream, 37, is one of the ancient warriors in the Premier League and World Cup.
“I have been on this program 15 years ago,” Reem said. “It is the fourth gold cup. I haven’t won it,” Reem said. “Are we weak? Maybe it is important?
How to withdraw it does not matter, too. The beautiful game, maybe not this. This will be a fight from start to end if history is any evidence. This is good with this American team.
“We are like the battle,” said Richards. “This is something that may have been missing from the national team during the past few camps, and a few months, a few years.”
Sunday provides the opportunity to show that they can stand from the toe to the soles of the feet with Mexico in the largest stage of this region.
“It shouldn’t be perfect, it should not be beautiful,” said Freiz. “The goal is to win, easy and simple.”
Doug Macinterre is a soccer correspondent for Fox Sport who covered US National teams for men and women at the FIFA World Cup on five continents. Follow it @Bydougmcintyre.
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