You ask former U.S. men’s national soccer team standouts Marcelo Balboa and Stu Holden about the Concacaf Gold Cup final, and the competitive spirit just oozes from their soul.
Especially since USMNT will face its biggest rival, Mexico, in the Sunday, July 6 match at NRG Stadium in Houston.
“Listen, you never want to lose to Mexico,” Balboa, 57, told USA TODAY Sports, before he joins the Gold Cup’s Spanish-language broadcast on Univision, TUDN and ViX. “I’m retired. I haven’t played against Mexico a long time. Even when I play in the old legends games, I don’t want to lose to Mexico.”
Holden – who will be on the Gold Cup call alongside play-by-play announcer John Strong on FOX – still remembers how humiliated he felt after playing in USMNT’s 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 Gold Cup final.
“Man, I would give anything to step on that field on Sunday,” Holden said. “And I’m going to step on the field – I just won’t be allowed to kick a ball.”
Coach Mauricio Pochettino, breakout star Diego Luna and the USMNT have a golden opportunity to rewrite the team’s narrative ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
They could end a tumultuous summer on a high note by lifting a trophy, setting the stage for a World Cup where they could at least be competitive against some of the best national teams in the world.
A loss, however?
Well, here’s where it’s important to maintain some perspective.
USMNT has been a club on the fly before the World Cup – hiring Pochettino last September, and trying to field a capable roster that won’t embarrass itself when the U.S. co-hosts the tournament next summer with Canada and Mexico.
By no means are they ready for the World Cup just yet. But they’ll have to be when next summer rolls around.
Star Christian Pulisic is one of several players not with USMNT during the Gold Cup this summer – his decision to rest upsetting several former players turned analysts, especially after the U.S. lost friendlies to Turkey (2-1 on June 7) and Switzerland (4-0 on June 10) before the tournament.
During the Gold Cup, the U.S. beat Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on June 7, beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 on June 19, beat Haiti 2-1 on June 22, advanced past Costa Rica 2-2 (4-3 on penalty kicks) on June 29 and topped Guatemala 2-1 on July 2 to reach the final.
Pochettino has 10 wins in 15 matches since taking the job, a run that included a four-game losing streak going into the Gold Cup. Would another loss to Mexico – in the Gold Cup final – be a failure for Pochettino and USMNT?
“No, not at all. The fact that this team got there, I think it’s very valuable for Pochettino and his coaching staff,” Balboa said, adding it’s a prime opportunity for the players pushing for a roster spot to play for USMNT in the World Cup.
“Listen, nobody wants to lose. Is it a failure? I wouldn’t think it’s a failure at all. I think it’s just one of those games that it could go either way. One mistake could cost you the game. But at the end of the day, you can’t say one game that you lose to Mexico in the final, the tournament was a failure.”
Holden said he’s cautious to put a label like “failure” if this group of USMNT players fall to Mexico because “it would be me getting a little bit lost in the moment.”
This Gold Cup experience is about Pochettino finding his way as the USMNT coach.
It’s about players like Luna, who scored both goals against Guatemala, making a name for themselves.
It’s about others like forwards Brian White and Patrick Agyemang, midfielders Max Arfsten, Jack McGlynn and Sebastian Berhalter, defenders Chris Richards and Alex Freeman, and goalkeeper Matt Freese solidifying their chances to make the World Cup roster.
Holden believes a Gold Cup win could solidify USMNT’s belief in itself, and send a message to its pool of players that the club is heading in a clear direction under Pochettino’s leadership.
“That means: You fight like hell on Sunday, and you beat your fiercest rival, and you cap off a great month, and we have a great storyline to tell for the next year,” Holden said.