USMNT Defeats Mexico to Win 2021 Gold Cup

The United States men’s soccer team won a huge contest on Sunday. With the help of Miles Robinson scoring a goal in extra time, the USMNT took down Mexico 1-0 in the 2021 Gold Cup final at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This is the second time in two months the U.S. defeated Mexico in a continental tournament, beating the team in the Concacaf Nations Final in June.

“When I look back at it, I’m most proud for the team, for the guys,” U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter said, per ESPN. “We were together for a month, and we just saw them growing, we saw the team growing, saw individuals growing and improving. We saw the team chemistry growing.” The U.S. came into the game as an underdog as some of their top players were missing due to them getting ready for their seasons in Europe. The U.S. has won nine consecutive games and 14 home games in a row.

“All losses are painful, especially in circumstances like these,” Mexico manager Gerardo Martino said after the match. “I believe we’ve competed well against the United States. We had really great moments in our favor tonight. This loss shouldn’t be a catastrophe for the team, of course it hurts, but we’ll look to improve. It’s true we lost two finals, and it’s true we’ve lost those games on set pieces, but I don’t see why we should change our style of play. We didn’t prepare this team for 2.5 years to play one way [in the Nations League and Gold Cup] and then to play a different way in the qualifiers.”

This is the first time since 2017 the U.S. has won the Gold Cup. Since 2002, Mexico and the U.S. have won the tournament, Mexico has won more Gold Cups than any other country with 11. The U.S. has won seven Gold Cups while Costa Rica has won three.

“Before the final today, there was a feeling inside of me that I just wanted it so bad for them, that they can taste this, and then they can win a trophy together,” Berhalter said. “So really proud of the group, really proud of their resiliency.”