ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Freese’s gaffe that cost the U.S. men’s soccer the lead in a CONCACAF Gold Cup group play finale drew a reaction from coach Mauricio Pochettino that the Americans can apply to the rest of their last competitive test before next year’s World Cup.
“Move on,” Pochettino said of the goalkeeper’s botched clearing attempt before Patrick Agyemang’s tiebreaking 75th-minute goal in a 2-1 victory over Haiti on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
“Remember, the most important action is the next one,” Pochettino said. “If you think in the last one like that, you’re going to do another mistake. This type of accident happened, and it will happen it the future.”
The immediate future for the U.S. after a 3-0 run through Group D is a Gold Cup quarterfinal against Group A runner-up Costa Rica next Sunday in Minneapolis. It will be the highest-ranked opponent for the Americans so far in the tournament at No. 54.
The U.S., ranked 16th, ended a four-match losing streak by beating No. 100 Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in its Gold Cup opener on June 15, followed by a 1-0 victory over 58th-ranked Saudi Arabia last Thursday. Haiti is No. 83.