The US Men's National Team lost to Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final. Despite the disappointing result, some players were still able to leave a positive mark on Mauricio Pochettino, while others folded under pressure.
Valair Shabilla
Matt Freese - 7.5
The NYCFC goalkeeper had six saves during the match preventing the US from conceding more goals. His defenders let him down in both of Mexico's goals, otherwise he managed most shots coming his way. Still yet to be seen if he is the USMNT first choice in the World Cup, but this tournament definitely boosted his chances.
Stock: Up
Max Arfsten - 5.0
Mexico loaded up the right side knowing that Arfsten was the weak point for the US. While not playing horribly, he failed to leave his mark on the match.
Stock: Unchanged
Tim Ream - 5.0
The Charlotte center back struggled at times keeping up with Mexico's attack and was exposed on multiple occasions.
Stock: Down
Chris Richards - 7.5
Only a couple of mistakes, but overall a good performance from the Crystal Palace center back. Bagging his second goal of the tournament is a nice way to end his summer with the US.
Stock: Up
An early strike from @eastmamba! 🐍pic.twitter.com/S6S4GyK9bS
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) July 6, 2025
Alex Freeman - 6.0
There's clear potential for Alex Freeman, but his talent is still raw, which is normal for his age. With some fine tuning and regular game time, it would not be a surprise to see him in the World Cup roster.
Stock: Unchanged
Luca de la Torre - 5.0
It's hard to rate one player when the entire midfield struggled to leave a mark on the game. It was clear that Luca De La Torre was unable to keep up with the rhythm of the game and struggled to build from the back.
Stock: Unchanged
Tyler Adams - 5.5
Tyler Adams seemed frustrated at times, which is understandable. He gets an extra .5 because he's coming back from injury and is unfamiliar with his midfield partners.
Stock: Unchanged
Sebastian Berhalter - 6.5
While he didn't set the world on fire, Sebastian Berhalter continues to show that he has a role to play for the USMNT, his set piece delivery is clearly a huge plus. While probably not a starter going forward, the USMNT can still benefit from him. Also, he has a lot of CONCACAF experience, which is useful.
Stock: Up
Sebastian Berhalter takes on Edson Álvarez and Raúl Jiménez 😅 pic.twitter.com/SbkiAkl9xm
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 7, 2025
Diego Luna - 6.0
Diego Luna struggled to make much happen, to be fair, he spent most of the match supporting Arfsten in defense and pretty much played like a left back. Can't blame him for being frustrated with the situation, he might just shine if he plays with the full team.
Stock: Unchanged
Malik Tillman - 5.5
The soon-to-be Bayer Leverkusen player didn't play to the best of his ability for the second match in a row. It seemed like the CONCACAF nature of the game surprised him a bit.
Stock: Down
Patrick Agyemang - 5.0
While the Charlotte attacker is destined for a European transfer, it's hard to see a future for him as the starter of the USMNT. Agyemang struggled to get into the game, and while some of that was dictated by game state, he also didn't do anything to help his case.
Stock: Down
Substitutes
Damion Downs - 5.5
Average at best tonight.
Stock: Unchanged
Jack McGlynn - N/A
With the chaotic nature of the last few minutes, the Houston Dynamo playmaker didn't have enough time to settle into the game.
Stock: Unchanged
Brenden Aaronson - N/A
Not enough time to do anything of note.
Stock: Unchanged
John Tolkin - N/A
He probably feels like he should've gotten more of a chance during the tournament, but Pochettino insisted on Arfsten.
Stock: Unchanged
Manager
Mauricio Pochettino - 4.5
It's hard to go two-footed into Poch considering the team he ended up with for the tournament. That said, he didn't only fail to win a competition on home soil, most importantly he failed to fully implement his style.
Jury is still out on whether he's the right man for the job, but a trophy sure would've helped his case.
Stock: Down
