The summer football calendar continues to deliver significant moments, from crucial international finals to major tournaments heating up. Recently, attention focused on North America for the Gold Cup final and across the Atlantic where the UEFA Women`s European Championship is quickly advancing.
USMNT Reflects on Gold Cup Defeat to Arch-Rivals
The U.S. Men`s National Team faced Mexico in the Gold Cup final, a match carrying significant weight and rivalry. Despite securing an early lead through Chris Richards just four minutes in, the USMNT ultimately fell 2-1 to their CONCACAF counterparts. This result saw Mexico add the Gold Cup title to their Nations League crown from earlier in the year, solidifying their position atop the regional hierarchy for now.
From a performance perspective, the statistics painted a clear picture: the U.S. registered only six shots compared to Mexico`s sixteen. Passes completed in the opposition half were significantly fewer for the Americans (96 vs. Mexico`s 161), and penalty box touches highlighted a struggle to penetrate Mexico`s defense (14 vs. 34). While a debated penalty call in the second half sparked frustration, the overall flow of the game suggested Mexico was the more dominant side, making Edson Alvarez`s 77th-minute winner seem almost inevitable.
As Charlie Davies noted on the “Call It What You Want” show, the display was far from ideal:
`Overall, this was a terrible performance. This was difficult to watch… they weren`t connecting passes after that. Mexico woke up, they started keeping possession. Any time we did win the ball, we gave it right back. Sloppy passes, miscalculated passes… Ultimately, that was not a great game to watch.`
It is crucial to contextualize this defeat. The squad representing the USMNT in the Gold Cup was not the full `A-team`, with key players like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun among others not participating. The tournament served, in part, as an opportunity for coach Mauricio Pochettino to evaluate the depth of the player pool ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
This evaluation yielded positive takeaways, with players like Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, and Matt Freese showing potential to impact the team in the future. The summer has provided valuable experience, identifying areas for improvement within the setup. As Pardeep Cattry assessed, while pessimism isn`t the dominant sentiment anymore, the need to find the right balance and allow emerging talent to realize their potential remains paramount.
The defeat is undoubtedly a setback against a major rival, and the reality for the USMNT as World Cup co-hosts is that competitive fixtures are now paused until June 2026. The value of this summer`s campaigns, therefore, lies less in silverware and more in the insights gained and the experience accumulated by this evolving squad.
Spain Sets the Pace at the Women`s European Championship
Across the Atlantic, the UEFA Women`s European Championship in Switzerland is progressing at a brisk pace. The 16-team format ensures that the group stage moves quickly, with knockout spots being claimed early. Norway, for instance, was the first side to secure passage to the next round.
However, the team making the most significant statement in the early stages is undoubtedly Spain. The world champions began their campaign in devastating form, notably dispatching Portugal with a convincing 5-0 victory. Their strong winning streak coming into the tournament, combined with the potential return of Ballon d`Or holder Aitana Bonmati from illness, solidifies their position as the clear favorites.
Despite their dominant start, the Spanish squad appears keen to avoid complacency. Defender Olga Carmona emphasized the need to remain grounded:
`We have to keep our feet on the ground despite the great result the other day. We can`t make the mistake of being overconfident. We know Belgium are a great team… we have to stay very alert, go out there giving 100%, and we want to win.`
While Spain appears formidable, other nations are vying for contention. Germany started strongly but faced a challenge with a serious injury to captain Giulia Gwinn. Elsewhere, a significant clash between traditional contenders saw France overcome England 2-1, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament and leaving England facing a tough path to qualification.
As the group stages conclude and the knockout rounds loom, the competition is fierce. However, based on early performances, Spain has set a high bar and currently stands out as the team everyone else will be aiming to depose.
Dominic Ashworth