Alexi Lalas looked sad in a cowboy hat at full time. He had every right to. The USMNT may have taken the lead but they were, in the end, fairly beaten by a Mexico side more experienced, gritty, talented, and, in fairness, more vocally backed. The Gold Cup final, technically, was held in the United States. It didn't sound, feel, or look like it.
But none of this was particularly unexpected. The U.S. were good. Mexico were better. The U.S. scored first. Mexico always seemed more likely to score the second and third. To be sure, there was a palpable excitement at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday night when the winner went in, 2-1 El Tri, and the release of 65,000 Mexico fans. But it was more anticipation of the inevitable than the ecstasy of the unexpected.
Mexico were supposed to win here. It was no surprise that they did. No USMNT miracles to be found.
Mexico had the momentum, the quality, the odds, the fans and the history - this was El Tri's 10th Gold Cup trophy, and the sixth time they have beaten the USMNT in eight meetings in the final. This tournament, more broadly, has been an odd bit of limbo for the USMNT. Sure, they have beaten who they should have beat, largely in manners befitting the circumstances.
And they have lost to the team they should have lost to. Very rarely are soccer odds so predictable, are narratives constructed so easily. Yes, they have shown the right mettle. Yes, they avoided capitulation. And those things, in this case, aren't insignificant.
No, the final loss doesn't reflect well. And no, there is no scoreboard for moral victories - especially when these to regional rivals meet. But if the Gold Cup was Mauricio Pochettino's redemption arc - dealt a poor hand and doing the most he could with it after losing four straight matches entering the tournament - then it is a job remarkably well done. Even if there is a sense of larger changes to come.