The United States men's national team came up short in their bid to win a ninth Gold Cup, casting aside an early lead en route to a 2-1 loss to historic rivals Mexico in Sunday's final.

There has been growth in midfield and attack during the camp so far but it still needs to be shown in defense ahead of facing a tough Mexico squad. This is where Pochettino's tactics come into play to guide the USMNT past this challenge.

For 23 fleeting minutes, the USMNT was atop CONCACAF. But it succumbed to a Mexican comeback, and, in the end, a better team. So it settled for second place at the Gold Cup.