Some players moved closer to Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup squad, others will be left wondering if they did enough
HOUSTON – The Gold Cup is over. But we won't really what it all meant for another 11 months. Sunday was the finale, yes, and it was a deflating one for the U.S. men's national team. But from the start, the Gold Cup was never really about the Gold Cup – it was a stepping stone on the ultimate journey to the 2026 World Cup.
With that target now less than a year away, a group of 26 players gathered for 40 days to play eight games all over the United States. It wasn't the strongest possible collection of players for Mauricio Pochettino and his USMNT staff, but they were the ones on the roster, those tasked with not just winning a tournament, but with setting a tone.
In the end, they didn't win the tournament. Mexico managed to do that – again – by overcoming an early deficit and winning, 2-1, over the USMNT. But was that tone set? The next year will provide the answer.
"I think we understand the standard now," said defender Tim Ream. "We understand what we need to do on and off the field. We understand what kind of culture is wanted for us and it took a little bit longer than it probably should have. Guys will come in and out. This group will more than likely not be the same again.
"But it's down to us players to now drive home the ideas that they want, the culture that they've created. And it's going to be important for whoever has been in camp for these five weeks to make sure this continues moving forward in every single camp."
This camp, like any other, featured the rise of some players, the fall of others. It was a measuring stick for not just those on the fringes, but also those at the top of the player pool. With just a few camps remaining until the World Cup – and nothing but friendlies ahead – this was the longest gathering before the U.S. squad is selected for next summer.
Some players moved closer to being a part of that squad with their performances in these games. Others will be left wondering if they did enough. Who stood out? Whose stock rose in this Gold Cup run, and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.
Getty ImagesSTOCK UP: Malik Tillman
For the first time in his USMNT career, Malik Tillman was allowed to be a big fish in a small pond. He lived up to that label, taking control to establish himself as a bona fide starter one year out from the World Cup.
From the start, Tillman proved he was clearly in a different class technically, so much so that it took his teammates time to realize just how little space he needed to make things happen. He continually delivered, scoring or assisting in all but two of the games in this tournament. When the U.S. generated a big chance, Tillman was often on the end of it, which went a long way towards building his confidence.
"Malik is one, the quietest guy ever, but he's leading by example," Ream said. "You have guys who are more vocal and guys who lead by example so finding more of those and unearthing more of those within this group has been a really big positive."
That confidence should carry over when the USMNT veterans rejoin the squad. Tillman no longer has reason to defer when with the "A team" arrive. He's comfortably part of it now. He translated his PSV successes to the national team, erasing any doubt about whether or not he could contribute at the international level.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSTOCK DOWN: Matt Turner
It could have been a summer for Matt Turner to rebuild his confidence. Instead, it was a summer to build up a competitor for that No. 1 goalkeeper spot.
Matt Freese, not Turner, was in goal for the U.S. all summer, leaving the Crystal Palace goalkeeper on the bench. It was his time on the sidelines at Palace that put him in this scenario, a lack of playing time that opened up a race. Now, Turner will have a lot of work to do to make up ground, as the USMNT went 5-1 with Freese as the starter in the Gold Cup run.
Turner, to his credit, handled it fantastically. Throughout the Gold Cup, he was frequently seen tutoring Freese, who had nothing but good things to say about the veteran. Turner wasn't bitter; he was helpful, and that goes a long way.
Still, if Turner wants to be the starter next summer the way he was back in Qatar, he'll need to play on the club level. That message was sent quite clearly by Pochettino and his staff. A move to Lyon may or may not be in the cards but, no matter where Turner does end up, all that matters is that he gets minutes. If not, the door will remain open for Freese, Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte with the World Cup looming.
Getty ImagesSTOCK UP: Diego Luna
Where to begin with the USMNT's Moon Man? He's become a cult hero and, arguably, already among this team's biggest stars. Based on this summer, he's also likely bound for the World Cup next summer, too.
Pochettino has been enamored with him since January, and for good reason. He brings attitude, heart and fight to a team that has, at times, lacked all of those qualities. Just boiling him down to that shortchanges him, however. Luna, at his core, is also one hell of a player, one with quality and creativity.
He sparked this team often in this tournament. He was the difference-maker against Guatemala and Costa Rica. He had two assists, one that should have been a goal, against Trinidad & Tobago in the opener, too. In the end, Luna finished with five combined goals and assists, level with Tillman in the Gold Cup. Only Panama's Ismael Diaz had more.
Luna isn't going anywhere. The question is no longer if he can contribute to the USMNT, but whether he's made a case to start in the final few camps leading up to the World Cup.
Getty Images SportSTOCK DOWN: Johnny Cardoso
As with Tillman, Cardoso entered this USMNT camp with open questions. Despite all of his club successes, which have led to a reported move to Atletico Madrid, Cardoso never looked particularly good in a USMNT shirt. The hope was that this Gold Cup would change that.
Just the opposite. Injuries limited Cardoso throughout the tournament, and he ends this Gold Cup in the same state as he began it: a question mark.
In total, he played just 11 minutes at the tournament after putting in a downright bad 45 against Turkey and a poor 90 against Switzerland in pre-Gold Cup losses. When he was on the field, Cardoso did himself no favors – and injury issues prevented him from making up for it. It's bad fortune, for sure, for a player who has generally been pretty unlucky when representing the national team.
Is September the window in which he figures it all out? Pochetino will hope so. He is too talented not to contribute, but this tournament was yet another without a signature Cardoso moment.