Gold Cup roundtable: Should the U.S. fear Canada or Mexico more?

Fox Sports

a day ago

Next up for the U.S. men's national team is a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals clash against Costa Rica on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on FOX).
To recap their group stage. A 5-0 drubbing of Trinidad & Tobago, followed by 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia (an invited team to the tournament) and then an entertaining 2-1 victory over Haiti.
Those aren't the biggest brand-name wins, but that's okay. The way the U.S. entered the tournament amid drama of which players are here (and who isn't), any positive momentum for coach Mauricio Pochettino and his crew was welcome.
So, which players have made the most of it with the 2026 World Cup next summer? Can the U.S. finish this Gold Cup as winners?
Here's what stood out from the group stage of the Gold Cup and what's for this weekend's quarterfinals.
Which USMNT player has made the best case for a World Cup spot?
McIntyre: Malik Tillman, without a doubt. Three years after almost making the 2022 World Cup roster as a 20-year-old, Tillman began 2025 as a coin flip for next summer. But with three goals in three games at this Gold Cup, he's staking a claim for a starting spot at main event — even when regulars like Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah return. The silky attacker seems well-suited to occupy a central playmaking role between Pulisic and Weah — the job Gio Reyna has at times filled for the U.S. Tillman's emergence this month is more bad news for Reyna, who didn't play in either of Borussia Dortmund's first two matches at the FIFA Club World Cup. But it's great for Tillman and the USMNT.
Litman: Outside of Tillman, I would say Sebastian Berhalter has raised his profile. He was especially noticeable against Saudi Arabia, where he won most of his one-on-one battles and stood up for Tyler Adams when he was pushed to the ground. Berhalter has been extra impressive when it comes to set pieces, too, offering a perfect ball on Chris Richards' goal in that same match. Set pieces have been a thorn in the USMNT's side. In the past, Christian Pulisic has taken them – the overall service was suboptimal and the Americans didn't capitalize enough. Berhalter, meanwhile, offers this critical skill set that will be important for Mauricio Pochettino to take into consideration when he's mulling over roster selection for the 2026 World Cup.
Who has been the biggest surprise at this Gold Cup?
McIntyre: It has to be Panama's Ismael Diaz. Díaz scored five goals in the group stage, leapfrogging Tillman and into the top spot in the Golden Boot race with his hat trick against Jamaica on Tuesday. I know he also scored a hat trick in the 2023 Gold Cup, but his production so far is still a surprise.
Litman: It was surprising to see Jamaica eliminated in the group stage. The Reggae Boyz went 1-2 in the group stage to skid to a third-place finish in Group C. They were surprisingly upset by Guatemala 1-0 in their first match (after beating that same squad 3-0 the week prior) and were crushed by Panama 4-1 in the third match to seal their fate.
Mexico and Canada: What has stood out from the biggest rivals?
McIntyre: I don't think either has looked invincible, or even all that good, at this Gold Cup. El Tri struggled to beat the Dominican Republic and settled for a scoreless tie with a banged up and shorthanded Costa Rican side (though add my name to the list of people who think Santi Gimenez's late golazo should've counted).
Meantime, Les Rouges have been wholly unconvincing since their tourney-opening thumping of Honduras. Canada couldn't beat Curaçao in their second match, and they couldn't score in Tuesday's group finale until El Salvador had been reduced to nine men. They're also missing their best player in captain Alphonso Davies — and maybe some swagger because of it.
Litman: I'll take Canada. From the controversy around manager Jesse Marsch which resulted in a two-game suspension, to the team tying Curaçao and only beating El Salvador 2-0 when they were down two men doesn't give good feelings that this is a team who has what it takes to win it all. If they're not careful, Canada could be ousted by Guatemala in the quarters this weekend.
True or False: Will the U.S. win the Gold Cup?
McIntyre: False. I think the U.S gets past Los Ticos and advances to Wednesday's semifinal against either Canada or Guatemala. Beating Canada won't be easy, though not impossible, assuming they prevail as expected. But beating Canada and then either Panama or especially Mexico, who'd take the field for the finale in front of a sea of green shirts in Houston on July 6, might be a little bit beyond a U.S. squad that is missing more than a dozen of its top players. Can it happen? Sure. It did in 2021. This group, like that one, is tight off the field and has been building momentum on it. If they play their hearts out, play together and get a bounce or two, they can win this thing. I just wouldn't bet on it.
Litman: True. The USMNT should beat Costa Rica in the quarterfinal and advance to the semi, where it would face the winner of Canada-Guatemala. If it's Canada, the U.S. has an opportunity for Nations League revenge. And if this motley crew of an American squad can come together and do that, they would have the momentum to potentially take on a quality Mexico squad in the final. Playing El Tri in front of what would likely be a pro-Mexico crowd in Houston will be challenging, but that's the kind of test the team needs a year before the World Cup. Plus, wouldn't it be quite the story if the USMNT came together after all the pre-tournament drama and raised the Gold Cup trophy?
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre .
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman .
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