USMNT Fall Short In The Gold Cup Final But There Is Plenty To Be Proud Of

So far this summer, I've written two pieces regarding the United States Men's National Team. In both pieces, I praised the team as they won game after game despite the weak opposition. Their Gold Cup run was nothing short of solid and despite falling short in the final to Mexico, the performance of the USMNT was one of progress and promise.

I bet a lot of people will point out problems within the USMNT after their Gold Cup run. How the manager, Gregg Berhalter didn't make the right changes, how he got out-coached by Gerardo Martino, or how the team didn't play with the necessary intensity. In the end, after watching the game, one thing was blatantly clear… Mexico is a much better team.

It seems like people immediately forgot who the US was playing. A team that beat Germany last summer in the 2018 World Cup and fell 2-0 to Brazil in the knockout round after a dogfight of a game. Mexico is one of the world's toughest outs. Their legacy as a soccer powerhouse seems to have been overlooked. The sheer fact that the United States is considered a rival and battled with them to the final whistle is all I needed to see in order to be convinced that the USMNT is back on the come up.

From the final, I had a lot of takeaways. Let's let em' rip.

1. Altidore > Zardes- This stands and it's not even close. I think I've officially seen enough of Gyasi Zardes. His inability to create curbed the USMNT attack and Pulisic seemed to fall off once he came on. Altidore is perfect for the USMNT's style of play. He provides a big target up top who is capable of being an out ball. He also provides a target in which players like Pulisic, Paul Arriola, and Jordan Morris can play off of. Altidore is 29 so the likely hood of him being around in 2022 are slim. Does that mean Zardes is the guy? I sure hope not

2. Tryouts- I feel like the Gold Cup is a big tournament, but for the US, it's one big tryout. After failing to qualify for last summer's World Cup, the team was in need of dire changes. The Gold Cup was the first major international tournament for the US since their doomed qualifying campaign in 2017. Now, manager, Gregg Berhalter, has a better idea of what he is truly working with.

3. Defense - outside of center back Aaron Long, the USMNT has some question marks on defense. I really like right-back Reggie Cannon who has shown a tremendous amount of potential. On the other hand, he has a lot of work to do and he looked like he was in a bit over his head last night as well as Matt Miazga and Tim Ream. Tim Ream is 31 and is obviously not a long-term option at left-back. Nonetheless, Mexico used their fullbacks in an attacking role very effectively and he had a lot of work to do. At the same time, Miazga was clashing with Wolverhampton standout Raul Jiminez who was causing the US problems all game. Do I think that the Cannon, Miazga, and Ream were unfit for the squad? Absolutely not. I just think there's work to be done.

4. I was wrong - Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore still got it. Perhaps they won't be part of the 2022 World Cup, but they can (and will) play a big part in the US's qualifying campaign. Their experience is invaluable and they can help guide the younger stars. Big shoutout to these two guys.

5. Young studs- Weston McKennie and Christian Puilisc showed up to play. Easily the two best players on the squad. And their both only 20-years-old. The future is extremely bright, especially with the likes of Tim Weah, Tyler Adams, and Josh Sargent. Young talent playing in Europe.

Pulisic won the best young player award at the Gold Cup. If you ask me, he was easily the best player in the entire tournament. His ability to create as well as break on the counter was so much fun to watch. He will be the keystone of the US attack for years to come.

As for McKennie, his composure in the center of the field is amazing for a 20-year-old. He can fill the shoes of Michael Bradley and serve as the anchor of the midfield but he has a lot to offer in an attacking sense as well. I'm going to follow him closely next year when he returns to Schalke. His development will be an essential part of the progression of the USMNT.

So did the USMNT blow it? Is this yet another blunder by a team that has failed to meet expectations? No. Not all. It's a step in the right direction. US soccer is bigger than the Gold Cup. Everyone knows what the true goal is. A deep world cup run and eventually even a World Cup title. This seems like a long ways away but even so, the USMNT is taking steps in the right direction. Don't believe me? Oh well. But don't hop on the bandwagon once they really start ballin.