HOUSTON -- As the final whistle blew at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final inside NRG Stadium, the United States men's national team looked deflated. They had just lost 2-1 to longtime rival Mexico, and the pro-El Tri crowd celebrated by serenading them with the song "El Rey." U.S. heads drooped. Shoulders slumped, and all that was left was to collect their runners-up medals. Defender Chris Richards, whose headed goal gave the U.S. an early lead, wanted no part of that ceremony, telling reporters he threw his medal away.
USMNT's real test will be learning from Gold Cup final loss
