The U.S. men’s national team knew the importance of winning the Concacaf Gold Cup final, but fell short to Mexico 2–1 in front of a sold-out crowd in Houston.

Pochettino's inexperienced side had well-defined standout players at Houston's NRG Stadium on Sunday, with Malik Tillman and Diego Luna making the most of their opportunities over the course of the last month and Chris Richards rising to the occasion in a strong year for club and country.

It's always a high-stakes clash when the USMNT takes on arch-rivals Mexico. With everything on the line in the Gold Cup final, Guatemalan official Mario Alberto Escobar Toca took center stage as the match referee.