Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final between the U.S. men’s national team and Mexico may not be the first between the two programs, but for several American players, it will be.
Mauricio Pochettino’s youthful squad are preparing for the 79th all-time meeting with El Tri in Houston, Texas, knowing the winner will lift the trophy and earn bragging rights for at least the next 12 months. The Americans booked their spot in the final after edging Guatemala 2-1 in semifinal play on Wednesday while Mexico defeated Honduras 1-0 later that night.
While veterans Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman, and Tyler Adams are a few experienced faces in the USMNT squad, many young players such as Diego Luna, Alex Freeman, and Patrick Agyemang will be facing off with El Tri for the first time. Although Zimmerman hasn’t played a minute of this summer’s Gold Cup schedule, the 31-year-old is focused on helping the new crop of players be prepared for a hostile atmosphere against Mexico.
“A lot of these guys, it is their first time playing [against] Mexico. It’s going to be a learning experience,” Zimmerman said in a conference call with reporters. “It’s going to be something that is going to feel a little bit more intense than what they’ve been around in the past. That’s something that we, as guys who have played before, have to prepare them in these training sessions, have to prepare them for the game.
“And again, it’s not to psych them out,” he added. “It’s to make sure that they’re prepared and focused and know that they have the belief of everyone on the staff, on the team that, ‘Hey, you’re here for a reason. You can win this game. You’ve done a great job [in this] tournament. Let’s go finish the job.’ So that’s kind of the mentality we have right now.”
Freeman is one of several new faces to the USMNT squad in 2025 as he aims to be part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup roster. The Orlando City right back has impressed during his summer appearances, helping the Americans claim five-straight victories in the competition despite suffering back-to-back losses in pre-Gold Cup friendlies.
Wednesday’s USMNT-Guatemala showdown at Energizer Park brought one of the better atmospheres of the Gold Cup, providing Freeman and the other young players with an example of what they will see long-term in CONCACAF matches. While Mexico is a different type of opponent than Guatemala, the USMNT’s overall goal of winning the Gold Cup hasn’t changed.
“It was kind of new for me,” Freeman said about the semifinal atmosphere in St. Louis. “Obviously this is my first tournament with the men’s national team. I feel like this atmosphere can build character.
“I feel like that’s something that I want to do is build my character and show not only the teammates and the coaches but the fans also that this team is built for moments like that,” Freeman added.
Should the USMNT beat Mexico on Sunday, they would lift their eighth Gold Cup in program history, which would them only one behind El Tri for the most in tournament history.
“Damion to Southampton is considered a done deal!
Full agreement with 1. FC Köln have been reached. Transfer fee: €8m. With add-ons, the package could exceed €10m. Contract until 2029. Medical scheduled after the Gold Cup. The 20 y/o talented striker is currently with the USMNT.”
LETS GO!!!
Was I hallucinating when I saw Zimmerman come in at the end of the Guatemala game with a few key clearances?
Yes, that was Walker Texas Ranger.
His new haircut makes him look like Chris Hemsworth which meant he did a good God of Thunder impersonation.
We’re going to need 4 goals and Luna and Tillman to both have the best games of their international careers so far.
I want the U.S. to win, but Arfsten will be massive defensive liability against El Tri.
PSV had their first preseason friendly today against Belgian champs Union SG. Dest played the second half. Neither Pepi or de Jong dressed for the match.
I worry about guys like Freeman and Arfsten facing Mexican players. Even though this is not a top notch Mexican squad, still their ball control and ball handling is much superior to what the young defenders see routinely in MLS. I also have doubts as to how well Agyemang will do because, although he is bigger and stronger than other players Mexico usually plays against, he just doesn’t have the guile or football intelligence to over come their defenders, is my expectation. Pochettino, however, seems determined to stick with the same group, no matter the consequences. Personally, I think he has seen enough of the new, young guys and should put in some other players for the final. Tolkin, for example, instead of Arfsten. I would also try someone else up top, like Downs instead of Agyemang. I wouldn’t mess with the defensive formation, but wish we had someone other than Freeman, but he has been steadier than Arfsten. Considering the personnel, if it wasn’t a final, I’d be tempted to go with a 3 man back line of Richards, Ream, and maybe McKenzie or Zimmerman with defensive wingers like Tyler Adams and Cardoso to mostly stay home and help the defense.
Share your concerns but at this point it’s hard to imagine poch changing the lineup for this final. And given how little he has subbed it may be he doesn’t rate the others…
I agree unless someone literally can’t run, we’ll see the same guys.
I will be greatly surprised if he makes any major changes. As I wrote, he seems to be committed to the same lineup whatever the consequences. Given it’s a final vs. Mexico I kind of wish he would make an exception and make some changes. Maybe if Pochettino were an American he would understand how we feel about beating Mexico.
Gary,
“Maybe if Pochettino were an American he would understand how we feel about beating Mexico.”
Do you have to be an American to understand that? You’re saying he’s not trying hard enough to beat Mexico? You want him fired?
He’s committed to this lineup because, after going 0-4 in the warm ups, it just won 5 games in a row. Was it totally dominant in doing that?
No, because it’s not a dominant team.
It’s not even a very good team.
It’s a team with a number of flaws.
But right now it’s the only team Pochettino has. It is his A team. Max is a starter. You want to replace him fine but the guy who will replace him is likely Tolkin and he has his issues too. The bench isn’t exactly impressive either. Just wait and see how you feel when Johnny comes out replacing hamstrung Tyler. Maybe Johnny will have a great game, you never know.
You wanted the euro A team?
Pulisic , Weah, Jedi, Dest , Weston, etc., they are not walking into the locker room tomorrow. And if they did I would not start them.
Because these kids, warts and all, as a team have earned the right to beat fucking El Tri in this final.
And El Tri are not exactly a super team either. Their manager Aguirre?
He replaced Mauricio at Espanyol. They know each other pretty well and I’m pretty sure Mauricio knows what he has to do to beat them
Pochettino just took his 0-4 team and now has them on a 5-0 run. I think it’s reasonable to assume he knows a little about this team and about what he is doing.
Gary,
It’s not about individuals. It’s about how the team performs as a unit.
You’d think that if he had people who were better than the guys you listed, he’d have played them by now.
Absent injury concerns, I expect they will dance with the ones that brought you.
I’m sort of with those who think Poch is playing the guys he’s playing because he doesn’t really rate the others. I mean: Agyemang, perfect case in point. Agyemang’s first touch is inconsistent – sometimes he makes some really nice takes, other times he bangs it around like he’s got wooden paddles for feet – and his finishing is…distinctly not good, if he had half Haji Wright’s finishing ability he’d have had eight or ten goals already this tournament.
But what Agyemang does do – extraordinarily well, actually – is hold the ball up, battle, bully, and track down and retrieve balls that get boomed direct upfield. His energy is relentless and he gives up on NOTHING. I personally think he’s the best holdup guy in MLS and that’s exactly why teams in the Championship – which tend to play very direct – are so high on him. In combination those traits makes him the equivalent of that king-sized tight end in football who can both block and who nobody can cover on third downs, and it makes Agyemang really, really hard to take off the field.
But can any of the others really help us? Dunno. Damion Downs has some obvious qualities but he’s also been banged up and if he could do what Agyemang does I suspect we’d have seen more of him. And then there’s Brian White, who is a decent MLS poacher who is good at finding positions in and around the box and who’s almost made a career of pouncing on second balls, and he’s a hardworking guy who will press relentlessly, but he’s not really a classic target man like Agyemang is either. He’s a role guy on this squad – a guy you stick in when you really, really need the ball back and when you expect there to be a lot of second balls bouncing around in the other team’s box. So with Wright now gone, who do you go to, exactly, instead of Agyemang?
Of the guys left on the bench, Poch has really only shown (some!) faith in Brendan Aaronson, Jack McGlynn, John Tolkin, and most recently, Walker Zimmerman, and then only in roles. Which tells me the others have largely disappointed, and honestly, looking at them, with the possible exception of Johnny Cardoso, who remains the biggest head-scratcher in the vast gulf he shows between club form and USMNT form, I don’t know who’s on the bench who really could actually help us.