There were plenty of difficult lessons for the USMNT in the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico on Sunday. How Mauricio Pochettino & Co. respond will be telling.

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.

The U.S. Men's National Team came up short in the Gold Cup Final on Sunday, losing to Mexico 2-1. A tight game all the way through, Mexico had just enough to leave NRG Stadium in Houston with a win. The United States got off to an early start when Chris Richards found the back of the net in the fourth minute.