LAS VEGAS — The images of the two U.S. soccer teams could not have been more strikingly different, hours and continents apart, one dream realized against an ancient rival and another dashed by a long-neglected neighbor, both by 1-0 scores.
Golden confetti showered a young, inspiring U.S. men’s squad in a deafening venue across the highway from the Las Vegas Strip. Medals dangled from the players’ necks as they hoisted the Concacaf Gold Cup trophy toward the roof of a sold-out domed stadium following an extra-time victory over Mexico.
Thousands of miles away, while the men celebrated into the desert night, an aging U.