HOUSTON — A Controversial Finish: U.S. Team Discusses Refereeing After Gold Cup Loss to Mexico
The recent CONCACAF Gold Cup final took a dramatic turn as the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) faced off against Mexico in a tightly contested match. Despite strong efforts, the U.S. fell short, losing 2-1 to their rivals. The match left many USMNT players and their coach, Mauricio Pochettino, expressing frustrations regarding officiating decisions that they believe impacted the outcome.
In the second half, U.S. defenders voiced their concerns about referee calls, particularly focusing on a potential penalty that they felt should have been awarded to them. Defender Chris Richards specifically highlighted a moment in the 67th minute when Mexico’s Jorge Sanchez appeared to handle the ball after attempting to brace himself from a fall. Richards commented on the situation with a sense of disbelief, comparing the handball to an impressive basketball maneuver: “Homie palmed the ball like Shaq in the box.”
As tensions rose, another play caught the attention of the U.S. team. A 77th-minute free kick led to a goal by Edson Álvarez, but not without controversy. Richards claimed that Mexico’s César Montes was offside during the play, arguing that in many leagues, this would have been called back for obstruction. He felt that this decision by the referees underlined a pattern of unfavorable calls for the U.S. in CONCACAF matches.
Initially, the goal by Álvarez had been disallowed for offside but was later overturned after a VAR review. The review determined that Montes had not influenced play enough to warrant an offside call, which left Richards frustrated. “In any other league, it would’ve been called offsides. But again, that’s CONCACAF for you. They hate us,” he lamented.
Coach Pochettino took up the issue of officiating during his post-match press conference. Speaking at length about the handling of key situations, he suggested that a double standard might exist, especially referring to how decisions seemed to vary depending on which team was involved. “I wanted to tell the truth. If that happened in the opposite half, for sure it’s [a] penalty,” he said.
While Pochettino acknowledged that the handball claim might have seemed trivial, he firmly believed it should have been treated as a penalty. “The player had his knee on the floor. He pushed his hand over the ball. It’s not that the hand was on the floor and the ball touched it,” he argued.
Though former referee Christina Unkel offered insights that suggested the incident was not deliberate and thus not warranting a penalty, Pochettino remained adamant about the missed call. “That was a penalty. And maybe 2-1 for us,” he noted, contemplating what might have been had the call gone their way.
Pochettino further indicated that outside factors, including the support for Mexico among local fans, might have influenced the referee’s decisions. He pointed out that Mexico had previously suffered from similar disallowed goals in the tournament, raising questions about consistency in officiating.
Another key moment came from the free kick that led to Mexico’s second goal, which Pochettino believed was awarded incorrectly. He expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the foul that initiated the free kick, insisting that the opposing player stumbled without contact. “It’s tough not to tell the truth. My players don’t deserve this,” he said, expressing frustration over what he considered unfair treatment.
Tyler Adams, another U.S. player, shared his perspective on the handball incident. He remained more composed but acknowledged, “I mean, I saw it; to me, it looked like a handball.” Without having reviewed the play again, he kept his commentary neutral, emphasizing that he saw the situation differently than the officials.
As discussions of officiating continued, the focus shifted back to the field and the game that had concluded. While the U.S. team might feel disheartened by the loss and the circumstances surrounding it, they have promised to reflect on their performance and look forward to future opportunities.
In the end, this Gold Cup final highlighted not just the fierce competition between the U.S. and Mexico, but also the challenging nature of officiating in high-stakes matches. As both teams move on, the lessons learned will be invaluable for their respective journeys ahead.
