Gotham earns spot in CONCACF W Champions Cup final with 3-1 win over Club América
Gotham will face the winner of the Wednesday's late match at Estadio Universitario between the Portland Thorns and UANL Tigres for the title in the inaugural tournament for continental club teams.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
Lifting Gold Cup against Mexico can give Pochettino's USMNT the belief he craves
ST. LOUIS — As the realities faded from what this summer was supposed to be into what it was going to be, the goal of the tournament for the U.S. men's national team never truly shifted. The Gold Cup was meant to be the month that Mauricio Pochettino and his staff finally got some time with the group that it would lead into next year's home World Cup. But the FIFA Club World Cup, injuries and Christian Pulisic's decision to ask for the summer off meant the U.S. went into the tournament without many of its regulars. That shifted expectations. At least on the outside. Advertisement Internally, the group still believed the goal was singular: to win a trophy. On Sunday night in Houston, a group of players who have used this summer to try to force their way into the World Cup picture will get that chance against rivals Mexico. After two ugly friendly losses to start the summer, the U.S. can now end it with a continental title. To do so, they'll have to beat the best team they will have seen since Turkey and Switzerland. It felt, after those two friendly losses, that Pochettino's desire to send a message to the wider national team pool was going to be a lost cause. But the U.S.'s ability to grind out results — albeit against sides like Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Costa Rica and Guatemala — has given Pochettino enough of what he was looking for from the group. He wanted grittiness. He asked for more fight. It has not always been pretty, but this team has given him that foundational baseline. Beating Mexico would only reinforce the message that heart, desire and fight can be a differentiator. After the 2-1 win over Guatemala on Wednesday night in the semifinal, Pochettino's press conference turned into somewhat of an assessment of footballing culture in countries like Argentina, where he's from, and how it compares to the U.S. Pochettino came away impressed by a highly-partisan Guatemalan crowd. It felt like an 85-15 tilt toward the Chapines in the heartland of America. For fans of the sport in this country, it's not a new phenomenon. But Pochettino has been coaching this U.S. team for less than a year. He's still experiencing these things for the first time. Guatemala was playing in a Gold Cup semifinal for the first time since 1996 and just the second time ever. That made it a must-attend event for their fans, who came from around the country to rally behind a team that had shown real character over the course of the tournament. The scene around the stadium all day on Wednesday was a celebratory one. Blue-and-white clad fans were out eight hours before kickoff, grilling and partying. When the national anthem started a few minutes before kickoff, the stadium vibrated with the voices of Guatemalan fans singing pridefully. 'I loved it,' said U.S. winger Diego Luna. 'It was awesome, man. That's what every game should be like. And I think the Guatemalans should be very proud of the fans that they have and the energy they bring. It's badass.' Pochettino loved it, too. 'That is football,' Pochettino said. 'When we say the connection in between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we would like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly. Because the energy translates. … Today, do you think that was a sport, two teams playing, and doing a spectacle? No, you play for something more. You play for emotion. You play to be happy, be sad. Advertisement 'I saw players of Guatemala crying. I said, 'Congratulations, because you are in a good way.' That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same. It's not to come here to enjoy the spectacle, and if you lose nothing happens. Yes, [a lot] happens. Things happen because you play for your pride, you play for many, many things. … But I think this is good for our players. Because when we talk about culture — that is culture. To see [Guatemala's] team, how [it] fights, how [it] comes here and how the fans behave. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country. 'But I am not [here] to tell [you] that we need to do this or that. Only that sometimes, we talk about culture… I come from Argentina. And Argentina is not the same, win or lose. The consequences are massive.' It was less a critique of American soccer culture and more of an acknowledgement of the reality when we talk about the growth of this sport. The 1994 World Cup helped to establish soccer as a legitimate sport in the U.S. It launched a professional league. Thirty-two years later, that culture is still growing. As the team has struggled recently, the support has understandably waned. Since the Copa América exit last summer (and at times before it), the U.S. has played in front of relatively empty stadiums and now in a hostile home environment. Pochettino yearned for the World Cup stage where, in all likelihood, it will be a large pro-American crowd urging the team on — just as it was during home qualifiers in the 2022 cycle. More importantly, though, Pochettino wanted to break off the emotion of the night to inject into the group. He wanted that live-or-die feeling to exist within his team the way he felt it had for Guatemala on a night when its supporters were just as much a part of the result as any Guatemalan player on the field. Advertisement Pochettino went back to the idea later in an answer, this time in Spanish. This time, he spoke to his own emotion and attachment to the game. 'I have a lot of respect for this sport, because it's the sport that gave me everything,' Pochettino said. 'That gave me the possibility to achieve the dreams of a little kid who was in the middle of the field in Murphy, Argentina. And if it hadn't been for this sport, for soccer, I wouldn't be able to achieve everything I've achieved. 'That's why I have the utmost respect for Guatemala and for the game… I can answer that it was incredible, how the Guatemalan fans lifted the team and gave them energy. And the truth is it was important, too, for us to play in an environment like this, even if it's here in St. Louis, to be in a hostile environment with constant noise every time Guatemala took the ball from any position on the field. 'That added stress also means we learn to compete better and behave differently from a sporting perspective. And I think that's something for this young group, with some experienced players, that will be very useful for the future.' It will be useful in the immediate-term, for sure. The U.S. will likely face a similarly biased crowd against Mexico in Houston. The experience they got against Guatemala can immediately be applied to a bigger stage. 'This game tonight would be like the little brother to the U.S.-Mexico game,' U.S. center back Chris Richards said. 'If they were a bit nervous for that one, the next one is going to be a lot bigger… It was really important for some of the younger guys to experience that. International football isn't forgiving, it's one-and-one. I think we'll be ready for the weekend.' A win over Mexico in the final can be a validating moment, just as it was at the 2021 Gold Cup, when a squad that was similarly missing several top players won a trophy a few months after the full-strength squad had beaten El Tri in the Nations League. That win added to the culture and belief within the program. And several players from that group ended up making the World Cup team a year later. Advertisement That should provide plenty of motivation for this group, too. If Pochettino's hope was to use this summer to create a bonding moment — within the team; between the staff and the team; and the team with its fan base — a title can help accomplish all those things. The task after that will be to carry it forward into the next phase of preparation for the World Cup. But first, Mexico awaits.
Fox Sports
6 hours ago
- Fox Sports
2025 Gold Cup Rules: Why Yellow And Red Cards Won't Affect World Cup Co-Hosts
Stars of the United States and Mexico won't have to worry about missing out on the first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they take the field for the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday (4 p.m. PT on FOX). That's because any potential suspension from either a red card or multiple yellow cards will be served prior to next year's World Cup. In a recent change by Concacaf, players from the three 2026 World Cup co-hosts — Canada, Mexico, and the United States — can serve that suspension in the team's next international friendly match. The next competition for those three countries is technically the 2026 World Cup, but due to the exception outlined by FIFA for host nations, they aren't affected by potential suspensions based on card accumulation. That's particularly relevant for Canada, which won't have Jacob Shaffelburg for its next match after he picked up two yellows in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Guatemala. Shaffelburg would have missed out Canada's next competitive match (their 2026 World Cup opener) but instead can serve the suspension when the team travels to Romania for a Sept. 5 friendly match. It also makes a difference for Mexico and the U.S., which have nine combined yellow cards going into Sunday's final (four from the U.S., five from Mexico). An additional yellow card or a red card for any of the already-cautioned players will result in a suspension for their friendlies in September. The change comes as a result of article 69.3 of FIFA's disciplinary code, which states that "if a representative team is hosting a final competition and is consequently not required to participate in qualifying matches to reach the final competition of this tournament and its next official match is in that final competition, any match suspension shall be carried over to the representative team's next friendly match." This differs from Concacaf's Disciplinary Code, which states that any unserved suspensions outstanding at the end of the competition will be carried over to the "next official match of the player or team official's National Team." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Washington Post
Raúl Jiménez's goal sends Mexico to 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup final with 1-0 win over Honduras
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Raúl Jiménez scored in the 50th minute off an assist from 16-year-old Gilberto Mora and Mexico advanced to its 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Honduras on Wednesday night. El Tri advanced to play the United States in the final Sunday night in Houston for the eighth meeting in the title game between the two countries with Mexico owning a 5-2 edge. Mexico has won nine Gold Cups, the U.S. seven and Canada one. Mexico broke through early in the second half on a play started by Alexis Vega with a pass to Mora near the top of the box. Mora slid a pass to Jiménez, who beat Edrick Menjívar with a right-footed shot for his 42nd career international goal. No. 17 ranked Mexico appeared to add to that lead a few minutes later when Edson Álvarez tapped in a goal off a set piece but that was negated when video review ruled he was offside. But El Tri managed to hold onto that lead as 75th ranked Honduras was unable to generate an equalizer. 'We had a deserved victory,' coach Javier Aguirre said through an interpreter. Honduras reached this stage for the first time since 2013 despite losing the opener of the tournament 6-0 to Canada. The Hondurans haven't made the final since the inaugural tournament in 1991 when they lost in penalty kicks to the U.S. Mexico hasn't allowed a goal in 383 minutes and goalie Luis Malagón has had to make only one save in the last three matches — an easy stop on Dixon Ramírez's shot from outside the box late in the first half. El Tri's had two good opportunities late in the first half. Johan Vásquez's shot in the box deflected off Honduran defender Denil Maldonado and right into the hands of goalie Menjívar. Menjívar then made a sharp save against Marcel Ruíz in the 42nd minute and Julián Martínez cleared the rebound out of danger. There was a chippy moment in the 11th minute when a ball was played into the Mexico bench area. Romell Quioto aggressively tried to get the ball for Honduras and Mexican reserve Guillermo Ochoa took exception, leading to players on both teams getting heated and a yellow card for Ochoa. ___ AP soccer:
