Mexico Wins 10th Gold Cup With 2-1 Victory Over US in Houston

Mexico secured its 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title with a 2-1 comeback victory over the United States in a highly competitive final held at Houston's NRG Stadium. The U.S. took an early lead through Chris Richards, but Mexico equalized via Raul Jimenez, who paid tribute to his late teammate Diogo Jota, and later Edson Alvarez scored the winning goal after a controversial VAR offside review. While Mexico dominated possession and created more chances, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino criticized key officiating decisions, including a missed penalty review and the VAR call on Alvarez's goal. The U.S. team, featuring many fringe players due to absences, showed heart but struggled with possession and tactical execution against a superior Mexican side. Despite Mexico's victory, critiques highlight underlying flaws in the Mexican squad, such as defensive inconsistencies, questionable player selection, and a lack of offensive precision, which could impact their World Cup prospects. Both teams displayed contrasting strengths and weaknesses, with Mexico demonstrating quality and dominance, while the U.S. revealed areas needing improvement under Pochettino's leadership.