“The lessons of this summer were fully on display in the U.S. men’s national team’s 2-1 loss to Mexico on Sunday night in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. The U.S. gutted its way to the tournament’s championship game, slaloming through a path of opponents it was supposed to beat. Mexico was a real test. … The U.S. fought the best it could. It even took an early lead. But it was clear that the quality of Mexico would prevail — and it did. Mexico dominated long stretches of Sunday’s final. It created dangerous opportunities and forced the U.S. into uncomfortable moments. It held 60 percent possession, won the expected goals battle and dominated in shots (16-6) and shots on target (8-3). Mexico was the better side. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
YouTube: United States vs. Mexico Concacaf Gold Cup Highlights
USMNT’s Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico a microcosm of its summer
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“For those unaware, FIFA has established its own Technical Study Group (TSG) to analyse the Club World Cup this summer. Led by their chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger, the panel contains former players and coaches — with Esteban Cambiasso, Aliou Cisse, Tobin Heath, Jurgen Klinsmann, Roberto Martinez, Gilberto Silva and Pascal Zuberbuhler unpicking the key insights from each game. 
“Ignore all the fluff that occurs in the middle of the pitch for a moment. Real Madrid’s winning reputation is built on their clinical efficiency in both boxes. Never was that more true than against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon, with Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois showing how fiercely skilled they are in such crucial moments. There was a glimmer of hope for a Dortmund comeback after substitute Maximilian Beier’s goal made it 2-1 in the 92nd minute, but Mbappe’s expert finish restored Madrid’s two-goal lead barely 90 seconds later. …”
“If the starting line-ups contain names such as Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman on one side, with Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the other, there is a high probability of entertainment. Yet how both teams approach the game factors in whether we see the individual flair or not. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich didn’t disappoint the audience on Saturday, with their proactive and positive approaches resulting in a 
Scissors Kick 