Death. Taxes. Dos a Cero.
The US men's national team are Concacaf champions once again, taking down Mexico, 2-0, in the Nations League final. After a difficult semifinal win over Jamaica on Thursday, the Americans looked a completely different side three days later, dominating Mexico and solidly earning their third consecutive title.
Turner probably didn't expect to have a quiet night in a Nations League final, but he did. The former New England Revolution shot-stopper was only called on to make two saves, and had his toughest test late in the match withstanding a barrage of chants from the away fans.
Robinson was reliable as always down the left-hand side. He kept the ball under pressure, tracked back consistently, and put in strong service. He's head and shoulders above any other left back in the pool at the moment.
Putting Fulham's Tim Ream back into the lineup was a masterstroke from Gregg Berhalter. The former New York Red Bulls defender was spectacular against Mexico, stepping up to every challenge defensively and playing a crucial role in possession. His distribution was on point throughout the night and gave the US a strong platform.
Retaining his spot from the semifinals, the FC Dallas academy product was generally solid and put in a couple of crucial tackles. His distribution wasn't always as crisp as it needed to be, though, and he was beaten in the air too easily a few times. Still, it's hard to complain too much about a clean sheet in an international final.
On his day, Sergiño Dest is a vibe. And today was that day.
Consistently, the PSV right back skated past two or three Mexican defenders. It looked effortless. It looked fun. And it was incredibly effective. On nights like this, it's hard not to smile when Dest gets the ball.
Making his first USMNT start in 477 days, the former New York Red Bulls homegrown looked like he hadn't missed a minute. He set the tempo for the US in the first half, calming down the midfield and doing well to work through some hefty pressure in the opening 20 minutes.
His real contribution, though, was an absolute rocket of a goal just before halftime. From all of 40 yards out, Adams struck the ball so cleanly, hitting it on a rope through the legs of Erick Sánchez and past a helpless Memo Ochoa. It's the type of strike you dream about hitting your entire career. In a final against Mexico only made it sweeter.
McKennie was dynamic on the right side of midfield, picking up the ball in the half spaces and playing it forward to good effect. His connection with Dest in particular was special to watch, and he danced past Mexican defenders more than once, including one sequence in the second half that drew a dangerous challenge and a yellow card that could have been more.
After dropping incredibly deep for most of the first half, Reyna got further forward in the second. Throughout the match, he was consistently able to break lines and evade pressure. Most importantly, though, the former New York City FC academy product showed up with an instinctive finish, snapping a volley from the edge of the box through a crowd of defenders, beating Ochoa at the near post and giving the US an all-important second goal.
The captain was spectacular throughout the evening. He nearly scored a memorable opening goal after a blazing late run into the box, and he set up Reyna's goal with a darting run, putting Uriel Antuna through the wringer before delivering a solid ball into the box. A big-game performance from a big-game player.
Wright did yeoman's work for his 66-minute shift. Battling against two El Tri center backs, he continually stood up to the physical challenge, holding the ball up well and providing a focal point for the front line. He played a part in Reyna's goal, perhaps unwittingly keeping the ball in play in the buildup. He tended to be caught offside too easily at times, but it was an otherwise solid outing for the Coventry City man.
It was a quieter night for the Juventus winger, who didn't get on the ball a ton on the right-hand side as the majority of the US attack built on the opposite flank. He's always a willing runner, though, and opened up plenty of space with selfless running, as well as tracking back diligently to preserve the clean sheet.
There may have been questions about this team's performance against Jamaica, but there will be none tonight. Berhalter got every decision right, including the choice to put in Adams from the start. His tactics had Mexico on the back foot from the opening whistle and played to the USMNT's strengths, and his substitutions were spot on. It's three consecutive Nations League trophies under Berhalter, who is unbeaten in seven straight matches against Mexico.
Substitutes
On as a halftime replacement for Adams, Cardoso was generally composed at the base of midfield and helped withstand whatever late onslaught Mexico mustered. He nearly added a third goal from close range, but clearly opted to respect the tradition of the Dos a Cero legend.
Balogun replaced Wright for the final 24 minutes, but only touched the ball nine times and could never really get involved.
On for the final 11 minutes, Musah hardly got involved as Mexico tilted the field their way in search of a lifeline.
Aaronson came on in second-half stoppage time and never got on the ball.
Like Aaronson, Tillman was brought on to wind down the clock late in the match.
