USA 2 – 0 Mexico
With a mega 3-1 win over Jamaica on Thursday still fresh in everyone’s minds, the USMNT proceeded to beat Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final with a dominant 2-0 win to secure their third straight title. For the third straight iteration of the tournament, USA went to the finals, and for the third straight time, they overcame every obstacle that came their way.
Goals by Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams and Nottingham Forest’s Gio Reyna led the way for the USMNT to a 2-0 clean sheet final victory over the thriving Mexico outfit. Adams scored the opener with the most beautiful long-range attempt in the whole tournament, which should headline the CONCACAF Nation League 2024 highlights on every sports outlet in the region. The 35-yard goal stunned the Mexican outfit and was then followed up by the roars of the American fans in attendance at the AT&T Stadium.
Adams’ goal gave USA the lead right before halftime, and they proceeded to pick up where they left off in the second half, as Gio Reyna followed it up with a stellar goal of his own, powerfully striking the ball past multiple bodies after a blundered clear attempt from a Mexican player.
Adams had not suited up for the USMNT since the 2022 World Cup with a troubled right hamstring that required surgery twice, while Reyna has been riddled with injuries at both Dortmund and Nottingham Forest, limiting him to just one start this season.
Vindication for Berhalter
With that being said, USA head coach Gregg Berhalter opted to insert Adams and Reyna into the starting lineup despite questions about the duo’s fitness, but after this final, it’s safe to say that no one should question Gregg Berhalter’s lineup choices again.
Berhalter made five significant changes from their 3-1 extra-time win against Jamaica in the semifinals, adding right back Sergiño Dest, central defender Tim Ream, midfielders Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, and forward Haji Wright. They replaced Joe Scally, Miles Robinson, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun.
“People have a lot of question marks about this, about that,” Adams said. “But to see what we do week in, week out when we have the opportunity to work together, we continue to grow.”
There’s been a lot of negatives said about Gregg Berhalter this past week, especially after barely getting past Jamaica in the semifinals, but lo and behold, Berhalter once again silenced all the doubt and the hate by lifting the CONCACAF Nations League trophy.
Drama ensued in the crowd
The match, unfortunately, was suspended twice by Canadian official Drew Fischer. While most of the crowd in attendance was glued to the match because of their love and passion for the sport and country, an unsettling event from the crowd ensued.
The suspensions were reportedly caused by discriminatory chanting by the mostly pro-Mexican crowd of 59,471 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Referee Drew Fisher stopped play in the 88th minute due to homophobic chants from the crowd, and then it was resumed after almost a five-minute wait. The crows pursued with the crude chants, and the game was again halted six minutes into stoppage time.
“CONCACAF condemns the discriminatory chanting,” the regional governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean said in a statement. “Security staff in the stadium identified and ejected a significant number of fans, and the referee and match officials activated the FIFA protocol. It is extremely disappointing that this matter continues to be an issue at some matches.”
Despite the attempts of the crowd to bring the focus out of the match, the love and passion for the sport prevailed at the end of the day. With this win, USA extended their unbeaten streak against Mexico to seven games, and they bagged their third CONCACAF Nations League title to boot.
Other awards
Reyna was awarded the player of the tournament, while USA’s Matt Turner garnered the best goalkeeper award for two tournaments in a row. The proud nation of Mexico finished the tournament as the runners-up. Guillermo Ochoa and his mates came into the final tie against USA as the SBOTOP CONCACAF Nations League 2024 odds underdogs, but they were formidable all throughout the tournament. They have yet to taste the gold, but they have been the closest rivals to the USA side since the tournament began. Mexico boast two second-place finishes in 2024 and 2021, with one third-place finish in 2023 as well.
The reigning CONCACAF Nations League champions will now shift their attention to the Copa America 2024, which will transpire on their home soil. They will face Bolivia, Panama, and Uruguay in the group stage, but the region’s juggernauts, Argentina and Brazil, still prove to be the toughest adversaries in the tournament.
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