Heading into Sunday's Concacaf Gold Cup final, the vibe around the U.S. men's national team was as optimistic as it had been in at least a year, if not longer. From head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his roster made up mostly of fresh faces,

For 23 fleeting minutes, the USMNT was atop CONCACAF. But it succumbed to a Mexican comeback, and, in the end, a better team. So it settled for second place at the Gold Cup.