Pochettino criticizes officials for 3 calls he said caused US loss to Mexico in Gold Cup final

HOUSTON (AP) — 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 Sánchez 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 Álvarez’s tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute and that the original decision ruling Álvarez offside should have been upheld.

Pochettino said if similar calls went against Mexico, “it would be a fire on the stadium. But for us, it’s like, OK, they are nice guys. They’re nice guys. It’s not a problem.”

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.

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 Sánchez’s action to those of retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal. Richards felt defender César Montes should have been called for a foul for blocking him on the free kick

“I think the thing about CONCACAF is that we’re always one step behind with the referee,” Richards said. “Palmed the ball like Shaq in the box, and then on the other end we had a block that was offsides. Any other week it would be called offsides. But, again, that’s CONCACAF for you. They hate us and we just have to keep moving with it.”

Sánchez fell in his own penalty area in the 67th minute after colliding with Max Arfsten, and Sánchez pushed down on the ball with his left hand as he tried to balance himself. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar let play continue.

“I’m not going to cry. I wanted to tell the truth,” Pochettino said, “and the truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure it’s a penalty.”

“You say silly penalty, silly penalty,” Pochettino told reporters. “It’s 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 the trophy.”

“I think that is clear and it’s not about to cry. It’s not about the complain. It’s not about to put excuses in the different things but I think we can continue talking,” Pochettino added. “For me it was embarrassing to see that situation and it’s a shame.”

Mexico was awarded the key free kick when Luna was called for fouling Alexis Vega on a flank.

“He slipped and fall down alone,” Pochettino said.

Johan Vásquez flicked the restart kick across the goal mouth and Álvarez burst past the defense, redirecting the ball from 3 yards just inside Matt Freese’s far post.

“When he touched the ball, the player from Mexico delivered the ball, was in an offside position,” Pochettino claimed. “That’s it. Nothing more to say.”

Mexico’s Santiago Giménez 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 a match that ended 0-0.

Álvarez had a 54th-minute goal that would have given El Tri a two-goal lead in the Wednesday’s semifinal against Honduras but that, too, was reversed by an offside call in the a video review. Mexico advanced with a 1-0 win.

“It’s difficult to give the third disallowed goal,” Pochettino said. “Please, guys, I come from — 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’t 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.”

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