🇺🇸🇲🇽 Gold Cup Daily: Why hitting 'refresh' yields same old results
It's US-Mexico again thanks in part to two young North American rising stars.
In today’s unlocked edition of Gold Cup Daily, we’ll look at the U.S. and Mexico returning to the final thanks to some up-and-comers, Guatemala’s remarkable progress on display again and how the Gold Cup suddenly appears to be … wildly popular?
The United States and Mexico. It’s the 2025 Gold Cup final, and the final it *seems* we always get in the continental championship.
It was not the last final, and while it was in both 2021 and 2019, the three before that also were not U.S.-Mexico. A quick glance at the history, though, and you understand why the perception is that this tournament always ends this way.
But why?
What are the U.S. and Mexico able to do better than any other teams in the region? Yes, they have economic benefits, more money and sponsorship to put into club teams. They have huge populations and both (sort of) push players to go abroad, ensuring they get top coaching and have to compete for starting roles.
They’re able to refresh. Young players are constantly emerging who push and surpass the existing players on the national team roster. When regular players aren’t there because of injury, suspension or … fatigue, they are able to cover the gaps.
Look at their semifinal wins Wednesday night. Mexico was sparked by a 16-year-old, a fact that would send American sportswriters scrambling for driver’s licenses information were it not for an ignorance of Mexican traffic laws. The United States got its goals from a 21-year-old who we know a bit more about, Diego Luna being a father, a barista and a driver’s license holder.
Meanwhile, Honduras still doesn’t look to have a new generation coming through. Denil Maldonado captained the team Wednesday but at age 27 has never been able to come close to replicating what predecessors like Maynor Figueroa or Muma Bernárdez did at the back. Up top, the same underperforming attackers Honduras has been utilizing since the 2014 World Cup cycle can be sure of their place in the XI. Who else would manager Reinado Rueda turn to?
Guatemala had some spark off the bench, namely thanks to talent born in the U.S. that has come through the MLS academy team. The team put together a great tournament but needs to find more depth, finding a way for players to leave the domestic league.
That cycle of constant refresh is necessary in the national team. Roster slots 1-15 or so will be locked down by stars and regulars for even the best national teams. The players filling spots 16-23 are less certain - and ideally a fierce competition exists that pushes every player on the fringe to be even better.
Gilberto Mora started in the semifinal after also starting in the quarterfinal and looks well on his way to making the World Cup roster as a 17-year-old next summer. He took a beating from the brusque Honduran back line but worked to match their physicality and eventually was able to assist Raul Jimenez on the match’s only goal.
“I think he’s very, very well taken care of by his parents. You see the education he’s gotten at home, both personally and professionally, the way he carries himself is exemplary,” Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said after the match. “He takes on his role as a young guy, the youngest in the squad, he listens well. I don’t think you can put pressure on this kid or make him dizzy. I’m sure of it.
“Physically, it’s true, he’s still a boy. Last time, he had cramps in his calves, today he was paying the price too - but physically. Honduras pushes you to the limit and while he hid it his biggest strength isn’t matching up man-to-man with his body. But he’s a huge talent - and he’s Mexican. What good luck we have.”
Mora not only has been taken in by the team as a player but also seems to be slotting in to a little brother role. Alexis Vega posted a celebratory story after Mora’s debut in the quarterfinal against Saudi Arabia, and goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon, Mexico’s No. 1 and now América’s starter, marveled at Mora being in the national team at an age when many current internationals weren’t sure if they’d be able to make it as professionals.
“I told him, man at 16, they’d just let me go from Santos! I’m really happy for you,” Malagon said. “He’s a guy who works hard and adapts well. From him to Memo, who is the oldest, I think we all work the same.”
While the training may be similar, the results are not. Mora gives Mexico an attacking edge it does not have when Charly Rodriguez is on the field - and while Luis Chavez often provided it, his ACL injury suffered this month puts his status for the 2026 World Cup very much in question.
It may be an extreme example, but the Tijuana youngster shows how continual refresh pushes Mexico and the U.S. to the top of the region - and to another Gold Cup final.
Luna’s stock going to the moon
Whether U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino liked it or not, the complexion of the tournament for his team changed when Christian Pulisic opted not to take part in the Gold Cup. It only became more clear with injury absences adding up. It was possible more likely 2026 World Cup starters would miss the Gold Cup rather than be present.
It went from a World Cup warm-up to a talent-finding exercise, from trying to raise the ceiling with his top squad to filling those final slots on the World Cup roster.
In two-goal hero Diego Luna, Pochettino has seen his hunches confirmed about a player he already seemed to like quite a bit. Luna not only has displayed his creativity and scoring prowess but also his willingness to work and an attitude that recalls the U.S. teams of old.
“I think it’s the grit. It’s the determination we’ve been lacking, to be honest. It’s fighting to the end, every ball, every moment,” Luna said in the post-match flash interview with Fox. “The game’s about moments, and I think this is where we showcase it. It’s 90 minutes of hundreds of moments. You’ve got to execute on each one.”
Nobody doubted Luna’s grit. He won Pochettino over in January camp, insisting he play on in a friendly match despite a broken nose.
“He’s improving,” Pochettino said Wednesday night. “How important was January? To discover a player like him, and to give him the confidence. Sometimes people say it’s useless, but it’s not useless. I think it’s important for the national team. I’m happy with the whole roster."
Indeed, it is not only Luna who contributed to getting the U.S. to the final. Pochettino was thrilled to see Walker Zimmerman come in without much rhythm and help the U.S. see out the match and has come away impressed by other players who perhaps were not as strong on his radar before the tournament.
“This is amazing experience. I think this roster deserves massive, massive credit to get to the final, and now we need to prepare for the next game - the final game,” Pochettino said.
After the context of the tournament changed, and after a miserable March and a rough start to the summer, to lift the trophy would be a big boost for Pochettino. Players like Luna who help make that happen will reap the future rewards.
A word for Guatemala
Guatemala went further in the tournament than anyone expected and went out in a way that has now become familiar.
After falling in a hole early, seeing the U.S. easily work through their overzealous press and create scoring chances, two of which were finished, Guatemala adjusted. They pushed, finding a second-half goal thanks to Olger Escobar and overall looked like a deserved semifinalist.
“I like the character of our players, the determination of our players, how they overcome and fight against the adversity of the first 15 minutes. Later, we had more time on the ball, more chances in the opposite half and more chances to score,” Tena said. “I’m very proud to be able to manage this group of players.”
Believe it or not, not everyone was pleased. One US-based Guatemala journalist told Tena during the news conference that he can’t make the mistake of waiting until the 65th minute to bring on his substitutes during World Cup qualification.
But even if he has left fans wanting even more, Tena knows that this tournament has served his team well going into the fall.
“The most important thing is we’ve gotten much stronger mentally. We believe in ourselves,” Tena said. “We can fight on a level field with anyone - we can win or lose like any team because a team that always wins doesn’t exist - we’re hurt because we were so close to the final, but the Central American player in general is much better, more professional and more aware.”
This Gold Cup will provide a belief that will be critical in the most difficult group of WCQ, one that will not be easy and is unlikely to see any team avoid defeat in the six games that will decide who returns to North America in 2026.
I’m still not picking Guatemala to qualify for the World Cup, at least not directly, and not because of Tena’s substitution patterns. Panama beat Guatemala head-to-head in the group stage and did so with its considerable absences at this tournament.
With the potential returns of midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla, attacker Edgar Yoel Barcenas and forwards Jose Fajardo and Cecilio Waterman at various points in the World Cup qualification cycle, an already-strong team without them should be even better equipped to seize the top spot.
We’ll have time to talk about that this fall. For now, Guatemala can rest in a well-played Gold Cup and begin to prepare for September when they host El Salvador and make the trip to Panama.
Did the Gold Cup pick up steam?
The beginning of the Gold Cup was marred by empty seats, concerns about how modified DHS and ICE policies would affect fans in the target market and a lack of oxygen during a suffocating start to the summer of soccer that also included FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup.
Yet, it looks as though fans are only getting more and more interested in the tournament as it goes on.
Concacaf announced a sell-out for both semifinals Wednesday, and each did look like it had a boisterous atmosphere.
The United States-Guatemala semifinal drew an announced crowd of 22,423 fans to the MLS venue. It was pretty clear most were wearing light blue and rooting on Los Chapines, but the tickets sold no matter who the fans were rooting for.
Mexico and Honduras also drew a sell-out with 70,975 tickets sold. That’s a combined number of more than 90,000 people turning up on a Wednesday night to watch Gold Cup action.
The confederation said Wednesday night that it has more than 60,000 tickets out for the final in Houston’s NRG Stadium, which holds 72,220 for most events. With two of the region’s biggest draws in the final, it seems like a sell-out is possible there, too.
It’s not just fans in the stadiums that are watching matches, either. While TV rightsholders are always looking for a way to convince the market that everyone is tuning in, both Fox and TUDN have announced impressive numbers in the last week.
Mexico remains the most-watched national team in the U.S., with El Tri’s match against Costa Rica drawing 2.189 million total viewers, according to TelevisaUnivision, which also is airing some Club World Cup matches
That’s good enough to make it the most-watched soccer match of the year so far, regardless of competition or language.
Meanwhile, Fox touted the United States’ quarterfinal win over Costa Rica1 as the best-watched English-language Gold Cup match ever, barring finals.
For a tournament that started slow, took place in an uncertain political environment that kept many fans at home and also continues to compete directly with the Club World Cup, any worries Concacaf had about the competition taking a hit have to be alleviated.
Last night’s scores
USA 2-1 Guatemala
Mexico 1-0 Honduras
Wait a second … the Ticos are the common denominator here. Should this be a Costa Rica newsletter?
great coverage