Another Concacaf Gold Cup Final, another heartbreak for the USMNT. Despite clinching the lead against Mexico within the first five minutes of the match, Team USA failed to hold on to the lead as the defending champs came from behind and walked away with the coveted trophy for the 10th time. However, Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of the hosts, didn’t think it was entirely his team to blame for the loss at the NRG Stadium on Sunday.
“It’s going to be maybe the last game that we’re going to play under pressure,” Pochettino had said about what was at stake for the USMNT with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon. Obviously, his statement came from the vantage point that Team USA would be able to win the Gold Cup Final first. But that hope was crushed, and the coach couldn’t stop pointing out how the team was held back thanks to the match official.
One of the most debatable moments from tonight’s game happened in the 67th minute, when referee Mario Escobar allowed the match to continue despite Mexico’s defender Jorge Sánchez using the ball to get back on his feet after a skirmish with the USMNT’s Max Arfsten. However, the issue that ticked off the fans was that the incident happened inside the reigning champs’ penalty box, making it a strong case for the USA for a penalty. Escobar’s decision proved to be lethal, as Mexico scored just 10 minutes later and defeated the hosts for the sixth time in a Gold Cup Final. Pochettino was justifiably agitated, and his feelings were shared via a post on X by Fox News’ Doug McIntyre.
“Asked about the possible second half penalty that wasn’t awarded to the #USMNT, coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t hold back,” the soccer insider’s social media update made it clear right off the bat that the veteran coach wasn’t onboard with the match official’s call to allow Sanchez’s infraction slide. The post went on to quote Pochettino: “I’m not going to cry. I want to tell the truth. And the truth is if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it’s a penalty.”
Asked about the possible second half penalty that wasn’t awarded to the #USMNT, coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t hold back.
“I’m not going to cry. I want to tell the truth. And the truth is if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it’s a penalty.”
— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) July 7, 2025
Mauricio was seen fuming on the sidelines after the match continued despite Sanchez clearly touching the ball with his hands inside Mexico’s 18-yard box. Clearly, even after the final whistle was blown to wrap up this year’s Gold Cup Final, the coach couldn’t stop feeling like the 10x champions received an undue advantage from the match official.
The story is developing
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