I want to go back. Son Heung-min's teacher Pochettino's tears, 70,000 people's homes → Most Mexican fans are shocked...12 upset loss. When are you going to turn the tables
Jul 07, 2025
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The U.S. came from behind to lose to Mexico 1-2 in the final of the 2025 North American Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Gold Cup at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on the 7th (Korea time). The U.S., which dreamed of winning its first championship in four years since the 2021 tournament, was frustrated at the top threshold.
Mexico, the defending champion, won its 10th championship, the most, with two consecutive losses. The U.S. won seven times. Moreover, the pain was even greater as Mexico lifted the trophy again in the U.S. mainland following the last tournament.
Coach Pochettino, who is from Argentina, took the helm of the U.S. national team, the host of the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. in September last year. He was appointed as the head coach of the national team for the first time after playing for Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
But it's a series of disturbing journeys. In March, he lost two consecutive A matches in a row. He sought to reach the top of the North American Nations League, but lost 0-1 and 1-2 to Panama and Canada, respectively, finishing fourth.
He also shed tears in his first A match in June. In friendly matches against Turkiye and Switzerland, they were defeated 1-2, 0-4, respectively. Pochettino, who had five wins and five losses in 10 games, aimed for a turnaround in the Gold Cup.
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The U.S. took the lead with Chris Richards (Crystal Felice)'s header first goal in the fourth minute of the first half. But the joy did not last long. Mexico's leading goaltender Raul Jimenez (Fullum) brought the game to square one with a left-footed non-stop shot in the 27th minute of the first half.
Mexico succeeded in turning the tables in the 32nd minute of the second half. Midfielder Edson Alvarez (West Ham) scored the come-from-behind winning goal with a header from a free kick situation. The assistant referee declared offside, but VAR turned out to be onside.
Pochettino also felt limited in the game. He was furious at Mexico's decision not to allow a penalty for a handball foul. However, most of the 70,000 spectators gathered at the stadium were Mexican fans, not the U.S., so they did not receive a proper response.
"Mexico is a great team," Pochettino said after the game. I have a great player and a good coaching staff, but I want to emphasize how important fans are in football games"With the support of the fans, we can renew the energy of the players in the stadium." Without support, it is difficult to lose the energy of the players. If there was a majority of support today, the situation would have been different."
And "That's what we're going through right now. In fact, if that happened on the other side, it would certainly have been given a penalty", he pointed out.
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In the United States, major players were not present due to factors such as injuries, club World Cup, and fatigue. Fulham's Antony Robinson, Juventus' Western McKenney and Timothy Weah, AC Milan's Yunus Musa and Christian Pulisic, and Monaco striker Polarin Balogan were not listed. In particular, Pulisic decided not to participate in the Gold Cup and take a break this summer in order to prepare for next year's World Cup, which was controversial.
England's 'BBC' pointed out 'The Gold Cup was a boost for Pochettino and the U.S. national team, but it was easy to see the fear before the World Cup resurfaced due to the defeat.
Pochettino in crisis will meet Son Heung-min as an enemy in September. Hong Myung-bo will play a warm-up match against the U.S. at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on Sept. 7. Then on the 10th, it will collide with Mexico.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
