LAS VEGAS, NV – To paraphrase the words of the late Raiders owner, Marc Davis, El Tri’s dreams of continuing their soccer dominance over their longtime rival, the United States died in The Death Star in a thrilling 1-0 win over Mexico.
In front of a pro-Mexican crowd of 65,000 inside the Allegiant Stadium defender Miles Robinson of Atlanta United connected on a header in the 117th minute to lift a young and brash American side over a more experienced Mexican side that has long vexed and dashed American soccer dreams for decades.
Aside from their Gold Cup win in 2007, Mexico had won five of the last six Gold Cups, and seemingly enjoyed both a psychological and personnel edge. However, as they say in Vegas, what happens there, stays there. This 1-0 loss to a side that many El Tri supporters that they have always looked down upon mockingly as inferior, it was the young Americans who would get the last laugh.
For the second time in less than a year, the United States has edged Mexico in extra time, as the Stars and Stripes defeated El Tri, as the U.S. won 3-2 in the Nations League Cup in Denver. And this time in the Gold Cup, in a tournament that they have long dominated?
Same result. Another bitter Mexico loss to the hated Yankees.
While this ma be the seventh time that the U.S. has won the Gold Cup, this was more than just a win. But a huge program-changing win over its biggest rival and booking a place in the upper tier of regional soccer supremacy.
The embarrassing losses and failures of missing the World Cup were all washed away thanks to Robinson’s goal. Hopefully, this will be the birth of a new golden era of U.S. soccer and a generation of success going forward.