HOUSTON — Edson Álvarez scored a tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute after a video review reversed an offside call, and Mexico beat the United States, 2-1, on Sunday night for its record 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title.
Chris Richards opened the scoring for the U.S. in the fourth minute when he played Berhalter’s free kick from about 40 yards with a brilliant header that deflected off the crossbar and just made it over the goal line.
Raúl Jiménez tied the score in the 27th minute with a clinical left-footed finish past U.S. keeper Matthew Freese into the upper left corner – his third goal of this Gold Cup.
Mexico was awarded the free kick that set up the decisive goal when Diego Luna fouled Alexis Vega on a flank. Johan Vásquez flicked the restart across the goal mouth and Álvarez burst past the defense, redirecting the ball from 3 yards just inside Freese’s far post. While the play was initially called offside, the goal was awarded by the VAR, and Mexico defended its title from 2023 while improving to 6-2 in Gold Cup finals against the U.S.
Patrick Agyemang had a chance two minutes into stoppage time but he didn’t make good contact on his short-range shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Luis Malagón.
“We’re disappointed obviously to not come away with a win,” U.S. captain Tim Ream said.
Asked what was missing in the game for the U.S., Ream added: “A little bit of calm in some moments. We started out really well and then, obviously, they get a spell in the game and the second part of that first half, just a little bit of that calmness when we won the ball to try to move them around a little bit more.”
Jiménez scored his 42nd international goal, the third-most in Mexican history, in the 27th minute to level the match. He burst past the defense and one-timed a pass from Marcel Ruiz, beating Freese from about 10 yards on a shot that might have nicked Ream.
Jiménez celebrated by grabbing a Mexico No. 20 jersey with “DIOGO J” in honor of Diogo Jota, his former Wolverhampton teammate who died in a car crash on Thursday in Spain. Jiménez ran to a corner, sat down with the jersey and mimicked playing a video game.
“We came from behind and are leaving with the title,” Jiménez said. “It’s great and really important to clinch the crown a summer before the World Cup. It’s something we’ve been trying to do since the tournament began.”
A sellout crowd of 70,925 at NRG Stadium was about 70% pro-Mexico and booed U.S. players when they walked out for pregame warmups. Mexico dominated with 60% possession and had 12 corner kicks to none for the Americans.
This was the last competitive match for the U.S. and Mexico before co-hosting next year’s World Cup with Canada.
Missing many of its regular starters because of injuries, vacation and the Club World Cup, the 16th-ranked U.S managed five wins over relatively weak opponents and reached its first Gold Cup final since 2021. The meeting with 17th-ranked Mexico will be the last competitive match for both nations before they co-host next year’s World Cup along with Canada.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino used the absences to evaluate players who could push for starting jobs during the exhibitions this fall and next spring, and Luna, Agyemang and Freese emerged as contenders for World Cup roster spots. He used the same starting lineup against Mexico as he had in the Americans’ two previous knockout-round wins against Costa Rica and Guatemala.
The USMNT entered the Gold Cup with a four-game losing streak, its longest since 2007.
POCHETTINO CRITICIZES OFFICIATING
Pochettino faulted match officials for three key calls in the loss, saying they wouldn’t allow a video review to deny a Mexico goal for the third time in the tournament.
Pochettino felt his team should have been awarded a penalty kick for a hand ball by Jorge Sánchez in the 67th minute. He also said Luna should not have been whistled for the foul leading to the free kick that set up Álvarez’s tiebreaking goal and that the original decision ruling Álvarez offside should have been upheld.
Pochettino said if similar calls went against Mexico, “it would be a fire on the stadium. But for us, it’s like, OK, they are nice guys. They’re nice guys. It’s not a problem.”
Richards faulted the officials assigned to games by CONCACAF, the governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean. He compared Sánchez’s action to those of retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal. Richards felt defender César Montes should have been called for a foul for blocking him on the free kick.
“I think the thing about CONCACAF is that we’re always one step behind with the referee,” Richards said. “Palmed the ball like Shaq in the box, and then on the other end we had a block that was offsides. Any other week it would be called offsides. But, again, that’s CONCACAF for you. They hate us and we just have to keep moving with it.”
Sánchez fell in his own penalty area in the 67th minute after colliding with Max Arfsten, and Sánchez pushed down on the ball with his left hand as he tried to balance himself. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar let play continue.
“I’m not going to cry. I wanted to tell the truth,” Pochettino said, “and the truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it’s a penalty.”
“You say silly penalty, silly penalty,” Pochettino told reporters. “It’s like plenty of penalties that are so silly. Silly, yes. The player was with the knee on the floor. He pushed the hand over the ball. It’s not that the hand was on the floor and the ball touched. OK, all the excuses now, but that was (a) penalty and maybe 2-1 for us and maybe we now are celebrating the trophy.”
“I think that is clear and it’s not about to cry. It’s not about the complain. It’s not about to put excuses in the different things but I think we can continue talking,” Pochettino added. “For me it was embarrassing to see that situation and it’s a shame.”
Mexico was awarded the key free kick when Luna was called for fouling Alexis Vega on a flank.
“He slipped and fall down alone,” Pochettino said.
Vásquez flicked the restart kick across the goal mouth and Álvarez burst past the defense, redirecting the ball from 3 yards just inside Freese’s far post.
“When he touched the ball, the player from Mexico delivered the ball, was in an offside position,” Pochettino claimed. “That’s it. Nothing more to say.”
Mexico’s Santiago Giménez had appeared to score on a bicycle kick in the fourth-minute of second-half stoppage time in the group-stage finale against Costa Rica on June 22 but that was overturned for offside by the VAR in a match that ended 0-0.
Álvarez had a 54th-minute goal that would have given El Tri a two-goal lead in Wednesday’s semifinal against Honduras but that, too, was reversed by an offside call in the a video review. Mexico advanced with a 1-0 win.
“It’s difficult to give the third disallowed goal,” Pochettino said. “Please, guys, I come from – when (was) I born I (was) born with the ball in my hands, in my arms. And I know very well what it is to play football and I know very well everything. Come on. Stop. I think my player doesn’t deserve this. If we lose, we lose. No problem. I am the first to say, hey, we need to improve. But I am not crying, I am saying nothing against Mexico. Nothing. I respect Mexico.”
