What to know about U.S. vs. Mexico: Gold Cup final preview, predictions, more

Sunday volition people the latest section successful the United States and Mexico rivalry arsenic the brace conscionable successful Houston's NRG Stadium to find the victor of the 2025 Gold Cup. Despite having little than perfect preparations -- they some mislaid emphatically to Switzerland, with the U.S. being defeated by Turkey and El Tri beating them 1-0 -- the brace person navigated done through this Concacaf competition.

The U.S. gained momentum arsenic the tourney went connected with a 5-0 triumph implicit Trinidad & Tobago, a 1-0 occurrence implicit Saudi Arabia and a 2-1 triumph implicit Haiti. This acceptable up a quarterfinal day with Costa Rica, successful which Mauricio Pochettino's broadside emerged aft a sudden-death punishment shootout pursuing a 2-2 draw. That resulted successful a semifinal against Guatemala, with the U.S. prevailing 2-1.

Meanwhile, Mexico shrugged disconnected a nervy 3-2 triumph implicit Dominican Republic with a 2-0 triumph implicit Suriname and a 0-0 gully with Costa Rica up of a 2-0 triumph implicit Saudi Arabia successful the quarterfinals. From there, a Raúl Jiménez extremity was capable to nonstop Mexico into the last astatine Honduras' expense, bringing america to Sunday's epic encounter.

So, with the signifier acceptable for the final, ESPN reporters astatine the Gold Cup chime successful connected the large talking points surrounding Sunday's clash.

The U.S. hasn't been rotating overmuch successful the Gold Cup; however overmuch volition it person successful the vessel against Mexico?

Pochettino has done precious small rotation during the Gold Cup. Seven players person started each match, with different 3 successful the XI for 4 of the five. When determination was a week interruption betwixt the radical signifier and the knockout rounds, Pochettino's lineup choices didn't rise excessively galore concerns, but aft a semifinal successful which the U.S. had conscionable 46% possession successful the 2nd half, it's worthy asking if the USMNT is retired of gas.

It surely looked similar it. Striker Patrick Agyemang appeared to beryllium moving connected fumes aft halftime, arsenic did midfielder Luca de la Torre. Pochettino did bring disconnected De la Torre for Brenden Aaronson, which helped, but the U.S. inactive struggled successful the game's second stages. The squad needed immoderate caller legs earlier.

Then determination is the presumption of midfielder Tyler Adams. Adams came disconnected successful the 77th infinitesimal against Guatemala owed to what Pochettino described arsenic a hamstring ailment. This is simply a subordinate with a past of injuries, truthful Adams' availability -- and vigor levels -- volition carnivore watching.

There is thing to beryllium said for lineup continuity, arsenic it's wide chemistry has decidedly been developed wrong the starting lineup this summer. But the U.S. figures to bash plentifulness of chasing against a Mexico broadside that volition apt person much of the ball, meaning the team's strength levels volition request to stay high. -- Jeff Carlisle

Can the USMNT's breakout performers (Luna, Tillman, Freese) present connected the biggest planetary signifier of their careers?

It's 1 happening to marque an interaction against a broadside similar Haiti oregon Saudi Arabia, but it's different to bash the aforesaid against a historical rival specified arsenic Mexico successful a packed location similar volition beryllium encountered successful Texas connected Sunday. There's a noteworthy tenacity to attackers specified arsenic Malik Tillman and Diego Luna, who person combined for 10 extremity contributions successful the Gold Cup, and it wouldn't beryllium overmuch of a daze if either of them roseate to the juncture successful the aforesaid mode we've seen truthful acold successful this tournament.

Luna successful peculiar seems to item that tone that's needed successful a tourney final. Days aft applauding the "grit" and "determination" from his chap teammates that's seen successful his ain game, the Real Salt Lake prima appears perfectly suited for going toe-to-toe with Mexican marquee players who volition person to beryllium astatine their champion erstwhile defending the winger.

In net, Matthew Freese is besides worthy of recognition for the important boost he's been fixed by Pochettino, but aft immoderate shaky moments successful the latest semifinal, could helium extremity up being a anemic nexus against El Tri's agelong database of attacking options? Regardless of the USMNT sanction called upon, Sunday's lucifer volition beryllium the astir challenging trial of the summer. -- Cesar Hernandez

How adjacent is Mexico's Gold Cup squad to becoming the XI for the 2026 World Cup?

The 26 players Javier Aguirre brought to the Gold Cup look similar the basal of the squad that volition correspond Mexico successful the 2026 World Cup.

The Gold Cup is Aguirre's last large trial earlier adjacent summer, and the manager has been adamant that helium has already defined betwixt 50% and 60% of the squad that volition spell to the adjacent World Cup. The remaining doubts subordinate to which subordinate volition play astatine close backmost and the players chosen to regenerate Luis Chávez, who is injured for up to 8 months.

In the Gold Cup, Aguirre has recovered Johan Vásquez and César Montes to beryllium his perfect halfway backmost pairing. In midfield, Edson Álvarez is the skipper and automatic starter. In attack, the astir important subordinate is Raúl Jiménez, and he'll request to beryllium astatine his champion Sunday and adjacent summertime if El Tri is to unrecorded up to its potential. -- Omar Flores

Will 16-year-old Mora proceed to advancement connected Concacaf's biggest stage?

One twelvemonth ago, the kid from Chiapas wasn't adjacent a nonrecreational player. And yet, 10 months aft becoming the youngest to ever people successful Liga MX, Club Tijuana teen Gilberto Mora has taken Mexican shot by tempest with his unprecedented level of assurance and polish for an attacking midfielder of his age.

There's a precocious ceiling for Mora, the 16-year-old who provided the game-winning assistance for Jiménez successful Mexico's semifinal triumph against Honduras, and with seasoned manager Javier Aguirre present giving him afloat spot aft an ACL wounded to Chávez, Mora is acceptable to erstwhile again pb the bosom of Mexico's XI.

Whether you're a instrumentality oregon an opposing defender, support an oculus connected his fantabulous shot power and superb vision. Mora has truthful acold exceeded expectations astatine an unparalleled complaint successful El Tri, and with different apt spot successful the XI aft making his nationalist squad debut successful January, Sunday could go different steppingstone for the subordinate who is leveling up astatine a frightening rate.

Widely seen arsenic the aboriginal of Mexican soccer, this play mightiness beryllium that he's besides the contiguous up of the World Cup. -- Hernandez

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Gomez: USMNT 'learned however to suffer' successful triumph vs. Guatemala

Herculez Gomez breaks down immoderate of the lessons helium thinks the United States learned successful a 2-1 triumph implicit Guatemala.

Is Aguirre's estimation connected the enactment against the United States?

Let's beryllium clear: Aguirre's prestige oregon estimation is not astatine hazard against the United States. The Mexico nationalist squad manager admitted that his squad is the favourite to triumph the Gold Cup, but helium ever made it wide that his main nonsubjective is to hole the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Aguirre opted for the Gold Cup to implicit his last accent tests connected the squad, and helium inactive managed to pb Mexico to the final. The World Cup is his priority, truthful Aguirre's prestige is not astatine risk. -- Flores

After getting a sensation of a hostile assemblage vs. Guatemala, however volition the U.S. grip a beardown Mexico assemblage successful the final?

After the semifinal triumph implicit Guatemala, U.S. defender Tim Ream revealed however immoderate players were shocked astatine however pro-Guatemala the assemblage was and asked however this could hap successful the United States. Ream's response? "This is the mode it is. You person to clasp it."

Clearly, the U.S. squad benefited from being exposed to this benignant of ambiance successful the semi. It's not capable to archer a subordinate however it volition beryllium -- they person to acquisition it for themselves. That's important, due to the fact that the vibes connected Sunday volition beryllium turned up to 11. The capableness of NRG Stadium (72,220) is much than 3 times that of Energizer Stadium (22,423) successful St. Louis, tract of the semifinal. And Mexico fans volition person nary compunction astir making things arsenic uncomfortable arsenic imaginable for their longtime rival.

Successfully taking the sting retired of the vociferous enactment for El Tri volition necessitate the U.S. to bash a fewer things. The USMNT volition request to enactment organized, arsenic Mexico fans person been known to crook connected their squad erstwhile things don't spell according to plan. But much importantly, the U.S. needs to get capable possession to let it to remainder and marque Mexico pursuit the crippled a bit. That doesn't mean the U.S. volition request to triumph the possession conflict -- it conscionable needs to triumph it capable to assistance it negociate the game. -- Carlisle

Score predictions

Mexico 2-1 United States: The U.S. is surely susceptible of winning this game, but Mexico has a spot much prime successful attack, which volition apt beryllium to beryllium the difference. -- Carlisle

Mexico 2-1 United States: As per accustomed with this heated rivalry, Sunday's last volition beryllium a adjacent 1 nary substance what, but man-for-man, Mexico's Gold Cup roster is stronger than that of Pochettino's. With much extent connected the seat that could specify this game, expect El Tri to narrowly gain the win. -- Hernandez

Mexico 2-1 United States: Houston is the extremity of Aguirre's investigating ground, and helium volition tract his closest 11 to the World Cup against the region's fiercest rival. It's the cleanable clip to consolidate the project, which ends successful little than a year, and I expect him to beryllium palmy connected Sunday. -- Flores