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Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT's time in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup came to an end after losing 2-1 to Mexico in the final on Sunday night. However, a controversial no-call on a handball caught the manager's attention.
The U.S. took the first lead of the night with a set piece as centerback Chris Richards scored the opening goal in the fourth minute. However, Mexico equalized in the 27th minute as Raul Jimenez landed a strong strike to the ball as it went up to the top left corner of the net. They later took the lead in the second half as Edson Alvarez scored the game-winning goal with a header off a corner.
However, the U.S. may have had a chance to score a second goal via penalty if the officiating was more accurate. Video showed Jorge Sanchez committing a handball inside the box, but the officials decided to not make the call.
Pochettino reflected on the loss after the game. While he will not make excuses on what went wrong, he pointed out a double standard if the handball happened on the other side of the pitch.
“I'm not going to cry. I want to tell the truth. And the truth is if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it's a penalty,” Pochettino said.
“The truth was that if that happened in the opposite half in their box- for sure a penalty.”
Mauricio Pochettino speaks on the apparent handball that was not called on Mexico in the 66th minute pic.twitter.com/1QLQlOzwXb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 7, 2025
What's next for Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT
Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT find themselves in a tough spot after losing to Mexico in the Gold Cup.
After humbling losses to Turkey and Switzerland, the U.S. bounced back by going undefeated in the group stage. They persevered through the knockout stage, surviving Costa Rica via penalty shootout and beating Guatemala 2-0.
However, the loss to Mexico shows they still have a lot of work to do. There are players who performed well in the tournament that will get consideration for the World Cup roster. As a result, the competition between the primary and secondary squads should look to improve moving forward.
The USMNT will play two friendlies in September while they await the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They host South Korea on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. ET and Japan on Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
