The final match between the US and Mexico was tense and dramatic from the very first minutes. Mexico is the reigning Gold Cup champion and also the team with the most titles (9 times). The US team is right behind with 7 titles.
The US team started better than Mexico and surprisingly opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Center back Chris Richards headed the ball into the Mexican net after Sebastian Berhalter's corner kick. However, the home team's joy did not last long.
Center back Chris Richards headed the ball into the net against Mexico, opening the final score
Mexico quickly regained control of the game and equalized in the 27th minute thanks to Raúl Jiménez. The veteran striker took advantage of the opportunity to shoot past goalkeeper Matt Turner, bringing the match back to the starting line.
After the goal, Jiménez had an emotional celebration to commemorate his late teammate Diogo Jota, who played with him at Wolverhampton in the Premier League.
Raúl Jiménez celebrates, holding the number 20 shirt in memory of former teammate Diogo Jota
The second half continued to be a tight affair as both sides created dangerous chances, although Mexico dominated. The turning point came in the 77th minute, when Edson Álvarez jumped high to head the ball into the net from a corner kick. The referee initially ruled out the goal for offside, but after consulting VAR, the goal was allowed, giving Mexico a 2-1 lead.
Mexico celebrates Edson Álvarez's goal
In the remaining minutes, the US tried their best to attack but could not penetrate Mexico's solid defense. Despite putting a lot of pressure and demanding a penalty in extra time after an American player fell in the penalty area, the referee still said no to the penalty, causing the US coaching staff to react strongly.
Mexico defends its championship, also the 10th Gold Cup title in the history of "El Tri"
In the end, Mexico successfully defended their Gold Cup title, marking the first time they defeated the United States in an official match since 2019. With a force of many experienced veterans combined with young talents, Mexico proved that they are ready for a bigger challenge at next year's World Cup.
Mexican fans overwhelmed the home crowd at the 70,000-seat NRG Stadium.
Meanwhile, despite the defeat, the US team still received great encouragement thanks to their fiery and disciplined play and was awarded the Fair-Play award for receiving the fewest number of cards in the tournament. The 2025 Gold Cup final not only concluded an exciting tournament but also opened an important preparation period towards the biggest football festival on the planet in the summer of 2026.
The US team under new coach Mauricio Pochettino participated in the Gold Cup with a squad missing key stars such as Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie...
This cannot explain the failure of the US team, with a much stronger squad, but still lost to Panama in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals in March, then lost to Canada in the third-place match.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/thang-chu-nha-my-2-1-mexico-lan-thu-10-vo-dich-gold-cup-19625070710570961.htm
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