The US national team lost regional superiority, but gained some World Cup hope
The US lost a final but gained competitive options at multiple positions, which should make some entrenched yet absent stars nervous.
In the end, the status quo went unchanged. Mexico won its second consecutive Concacaf Gold Cup trophy in a heated final with the United States in Houston's NRG Stadium on Sunday. The oddly angular cup will be tucked into Mexico's federation trophy case next to El Tri's first Concacaf Nations League title, lifted in March. The program was unquestionably on top of Concacaf before the Gold Cup - now that it's over, they still are.
If anything is changing, it's the momentum in Mexico's favor. The 2-1 victory over the United States men's national team was the first time the Mexicans vanquished their arch-rivals in six years - minus one day.
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