During the Concacaf Gold Cup, the USMNT felt at times more like visitors than hosts, something that irked manager Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino lost his first final with the USMNT, falling 2–1 to Mexico in the Gold Cup championship match. Despite mounting criticism from USMNT veterans, Dempsey has emerged as one of Pochettino’s more vocal defenders this week.

Pochettino's inexperienced side had well-defined standout players at Houston's NRG Stadium on Sunday, with Malik Tillman and Diego Luna making the most of their opportunities over the course of the last month and Chris Richards rising to the occasion in a strong year for club and country.