It is the Gold Cup final that most hoped for: On Sunday, the United States meet Mexico with CONCACAF glory on the line. Ahead of the big game, we asked Jeff Carlisle (U.S.) and Tom Marshall (Mexico) to evaluate the form of the team they cover.
United States
Just prior to the Gold Cup, the U.S. men's national team looked to be a shambles, having been thrashed 3-0 by Venezuela in a friendly that followed a 1-0 reverse to Jamaica four days earlier.
While there were some extenuating circumstances -- fitness and the absence of key players being two -- the results and performances did nothing to hint that better days were ahead.