"Dos a cero" and a three-peat -- the U.S. men's national team had a picture-perfect final.
The USMNT on Sunday beat rivals Mexico 2-0 in the 2024 Concacaf Nations League Final to make it three wins in a row in the tournament.
The game, as expected, started at high intensity. A nifty U.S. interchange between Gio Reyna and Christian Pulisic forced Guillermo Ochoa into action in the first few minutes, but there wasn't much action after that.
Both teams started getting chippy and multiple foul calls kept breaking the rhythm either side attempted to build.
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But just when it looked like it would be goalless at the interval, USMNT defensive midfielder Tyler Adams produced arguably the best goal of his career.
Receiving a pass from Weston McKennie from the left flank in the 45th minute, Adams loaded a shot from 35 yards out and drilled it to the top right corner past Ochoa's outstretched arms.
The U.S. then added a second in the 63rd minute courtesy of a sublime Gio Reyna strike.
Reyna chased a poor clearance by Mexico in its own box, then struck the volley past Ochoa into the bottom left corner.
The next best chance also went to the U.S. late in the game, though substitute defensive midfielder Johnny Cardoso couldn't stab it home past Ochoa.
Mexico tried to play a more expansive game in the second half after sitting back and sending long balls in the first, but El Tri just didn't have the quality to break through the U.S. defense.
While Chris Richards had some nervy moments, he turned in a solid display alongside the ever-reliable left-footed Tim Ream. Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest also put in hard shifts on the flanks.
Reyna, specifically, was tasked to do much more defensive work than usual but proved he could be up to the task. His goal aside, he didn't shy away from contact and got involved with seven defensive actions, though his duel-winning percentage could've been better.
The 21-year-old Reyna took home the player of the tournament award after logging two assists in the semifinal vs. Jamaica and scoring in the final.
The U.S. now has three straight wins in the Concacaf Nations League since its debut in 2019-20. That year, the U.S. beat Mexico 3-2 in extra time and defended it in 2022-23 with a 2-0 win over Canada.
Both the U.S. and Mexico will now play exhibition games in the summer to prepare for the Copa America tournament that will be held in the United States.
