The U.S. men's national team takes on Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday, July 6 in Mauricio Pochettino's biggest test yet as head coach.
Morale was as low as it could be after international friendlies Türkiye and Switzerland prior to the tournament starting. It's been somewhat restored and tested throughout the Gold Cup after a perfect group stage, but shaky results against Costa Rica and Guatemala in the knockout stage.
Pochettino's first attempt at a trophy, the Concacaf Nations League, couldn't have gone worse with deflating losses to Panama and then Canada in the subsequent third place match. His first final represents the biggest opportunity to prove doubters wrong and build toward the 2026 World Cup in a big way. Not to mention, his first showing against Mexico highlighted the work cut out for him.
Adding silverware, learning a lot about the depth within his team, defeating their biggest rival, everything is at stake this final.
Here's how the USMNT could line up against Mexico in the Gold Cup final.
USMNT Predicted Lineup vs. Mexico (4-2-3-1)
GK: Matt Freese—Freese, if the USMNT are successful, could make his case to be the starting goalkeeper come 2026.
RB: Alex Freeman—Freeman has been solid at right back in the wake of absences and injuries. He gets another big opportunity to impress his boss.
CB: Chris Richards—Richards has been one of the USMNT's best this summer and continues to endear himself to fans.
CB: Tim Ream—Ream started both knockout round games and should partner Richards at the back.
LB: Max Arfsten—Arfsten had another solid performance after two goal contributions against Costa Rica.
DM: Luca de la Torre—De la Torre should partner Tyler Adams once again.
DM: Tyler Adams—Adams must have a big performance in the middle of the pitch to control possession and stymy Mexico attacks.
RM: Jack McGlynn—McGlynn comes into the side replacing Sebastian Berhalter on the right flank.
AM: Malik Tillman—Tillman continued his strong summer with an assist against Guatemala. He's pivotal to the USMNT's success this final.
LM: Diego Luna—Luna scored both goals against Mexico. A big game for the youngster.
ST: Patrick Agyemang—If Pochettino was going to make a change, he would've done so against Guatemala. Agyemang continues to lead the line.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Predicted Lineup vs. Mexico: Biggest Test Yet for Pochettino.