HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino faulted match officials for three key calls in the Americans' 2-1 CONCACAF Gold Cup final loss to Mexico on Sunday night, saying they wouldn't allow a video review to deny an El Tri goal for the third time in the tournament.
Pochettino felt his team should have been awarded a penalty kick for a hand ball by Jorge S谩nchez in the 67th minute. He also said Diego Luna should not have been whistled for the foul leading to the free kick that set up Edson 脕lvarez's tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute and that the original decision ruling 脕lvarez offside should have been upheld.
Pochettino said if similar calls went against Mexico, 鈥渋t would be a fire on the stadium. But for us, it鈥檚 like, OK, they are nice guys. They鈥檙e nice guys. It鈥檚 not a problem.鈥
After the goal initially was disallowed by an offside flag, the decision was reversed by the VAR and Mexico went on to its 10th Gold Cup title, and second in a row.聽
Defender Chris Richards, who put the U.S. ahead in the fourth minute, faulted the officials assigned to games by CONCACAF, the governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean. He compared S谩nchez's action to those of retired NBA star Shaquille O鈥橬eal. Richards felt defender C茅sar Montes should have been called for a foul for blocking him on the free kick.
鈥淚 think the thing about CONCACAF is that we're always one step behind with the referee,鈥 Richards said. 鈥淧almed the ball like Shaq in the box, and then on the other end we had a block that was offside. Any other week it would be called offside. But, again, that's CONCACAF for you. They hate us and we just have to keep moving with it.鈥
S谩nchez fell in his own penalty area in the 67th minute after colliding with Max Arfsten, and S谩nchez pushed down on the ball with his left hand as he tried to balance himself. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar let play continue.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to cry. I wanted to tell the truth,鈥 Pochettino said, 鈥渁nd the truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it鈥檚 a penalty.鈥
鈥淵ou say silly penalty, silly penalty,鈥 Pochettino told reporters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like plenty of penalties that are so silly. Silly, yes. The player was with the knee on the floor. He pushed the hand over the ball. It's not that the hand was on the floor and the ball touched. OK, all the excuses now, but that was (a) penalty and maybe 2-1 for us and maybe we now are celebrating with the trophy.
鈥淚 think that is clear and it鈥檚 not about to cry. It鈥檚 not about the complain. It's not about to put excuses in the different things but I think we can continue talking. For me it was embarrassing to see that situation and it's a shame.鈥
Mexico was awarded the key free kick when Luna was called for fouling Alexis Vega on a flank.
鈥淗e slipped and fall down alone,鈥 Pochettino said.
Johan V谩squez flicked the restart kick across the goalmouth and 脕lvarez burst past the defence, redirecting the ball from three yards just inside Matt Freese鈥檚 far post.
鈥淲hen he touched the ball, the player from Mexico delivered the ball, was in an offside position," Pochettino claimed. "That鈥檚 it. Nothing more to say.鈥
Mexico's Santiago Gim茅nez had appeared to score on a bicycle kick in the fourth-minute of second-half stoppage time in the group-stage finale against Costa Rica on June 22 but that was overturned for offside by the VAR in .
脕lvarez had a 54th-minute goal that would have given El Tri a two-goal lead in Wednesday鈥檚 semifinal against Honduras but that, too, was reversed by an offside call in the a video review. .
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to give the third disallowed goal,鈥 Pochettino said. 鈥淧lease, guys, I come from 鈥 when (was) I born I (was) born with the ball in my hands, in my arms. And I know very well what it is to play football and I know very well everything. Come on. Stop.
"I think my player doesn鈥檛 deserve this. If we lose, we lose. No problem. I am the first to say, hey, we need to improve. But I am not crying, I am saying nothing against Mexico. Nothing. I respect Mexico.鈥
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