HOUSTON - Here we go again - death, taxes and the U.S. men's national team meeting Mexico in a Gold Cup final. Interestingly enough, though, this matchup hasn't been quite as common as you would think over the last decade or so, with Sunday's tournament decider in Houston just the third USMNT-Mexico affair in the last seven editions of this competition.
This game, of course, comes with built-in storylines. It remains the premier rivalry in this part of the world and, one year out from a World Cup spread across both of these countries, Sunday's game is also a vital measuring stick. Both will be out for bragging rights, yes, but both also have the bigger picture in mind, too.
For the U.S. it's been a summer of changing culture. Mauricio Pochettino went into this tournament with a weakened roster, one missing many of the team's top stars. Yet, here they are. It's been a bumpy road to the final, but now it's all down to one game, one chance to defy the odds and set the tone for the year to come.
"The message has been to be proud of what we've done, but the job's not finished," said goalkeeper Matt Freese. "We did not come here to be a second-place team. We came here and we've been preparing all tournament to be a first-place team at the end of it."
After winning the CONCACAF Nations League final in March, El Tri will feel they're on top of CONCACAF - and they might just be. While the USMNT and Canada have faltered in recent months, Mexico are on an upward trajectory heading towards the World Cup, and they can double-down on that with a win in front of what should be a pro-Mexico crowd in Houston.
This is the eighth Gold Cup final featuring the U.S. and Mexico. El Tri have won five of the previous seven but the USMNT have the most recent victory in 2021. Overall, Mexico have claimed nine titles in 11 Gold Cup finals, with the U.S. second at seven wins in 12 final appearances. Underscoring the two nations' dominance in this competition, Canada in 2000 is the only other team to lift the Gold Cup.
It's all to play for on Sunday, with kickoff at 7 p.m. ET. And by just making it here, both teams will have reason to believe that they can cap a grueling summer by staking their claim as the region's best.
"It's one game to lift a trophy," defender Tim Ream said. "It doesn't matter if you're an underdog or a favorite, you still have to go out there and play at least 90 minutes to finish a game. That's all the motivation we need: that trophy. That's all you need as players.
"Some will tell you it's a little extra because it's Mexico and there's history. But at the end of the day, you have to play everybody on your schedule to get to a final and then you get one match. That's all we need."
GOAL looks at five keys for the USMNT against Mexico.