Santi hopes to 'make fun' of Pulisic after GC final

HOUSTON -- Mexico striker Santiago Giménez has plentifulness of information going into Sunday's Gold Cup last against the United States: a accidental to assistance Mexico's record-extending 10th Concacaf title, gain a priceless triumph implicit its apical rival -- and get a accidental to instrumentality a playful jab implicit his American teammates astatine AC Milan.

"I'm truly looking guardant to it [the final], due to the fact that successful the end, it's the North American clasico, and the past fewer games against the United States person been truly tough," Giménez told reporters Saturday up of the last astatine NRG Stadium.

"Also, due to the fact that I person [Christian] Pulisic and [Yunus] Musah successful the [Milan] locker room, truthful I privation to spell and marque amusive of them a little.

"As I said before, it's the North American clasico, and it's not conscionable today, it's ever been [a clasico]. I deliberation the rivalry with the United States successful shot has ever been there, and it's a fantastic thing, it's portion of football. Every nationalist team, each nine has its clasico, its rival to beat, and I deliberation our rival to bushed is the United States."

Despite the bragging rights astatine involvement this summer, neither Musah nor Pulisic, on with a agelong database of marquee U.S. players, volition beryllium connected the other broadside of the tract to Gimenez connected Sunday, having been made unavailable for the Gold Cup owed to reasons ranging from injuries, remainder and Club World Cup duties.

Nonetheless, Mauricio Pochettino's alternate U.S. roster has inactive recovered a mode to Sunday's championship, which volition people the eighth clip that the 2 rival nations volition conscionable successful the Gold Cup final.

Mexico has won 5 of those clashes, portion the U.S. has won two. In their erstwhile head-to-head successful the tournament's 2021 title match, the Americans defeated Mexico 1-0 successful other time.

"It's not conscionable a clasico, it's a final, and finals are determination to beryllium won," said Fulham striker Raúl Jiménez up of the match. "So we person to springiness our all. But the astir important thing, I think, is to bask ourselves, bask the game."

Mexico is the all-time person successful Gold Cup titles with nine, portion the USMNT is 2nd with 7 trophies. As for the managers, Mexico's 's Javier Aguirre is successful his 3rd spell successful complaint and antecedently lifted the Gold Cup successful 2009. Pochettino, meanwhile, is seeking his archetypal portion of silverware with the USMNT.