United States supporters have mocked Canada after they extended their unbeaten run to come away with a second successive CONCACAF Nations League title.
Interim coach B.J. Callaghan's team ran out 2-0 winners in the showpiece final game as the old foes faced off in a bid for silverware at Allegiant Stadium. The USA had reached the final following a more tumultuous encounter versus Mexico in the semi-finals, which ended prematurely, with four dismissals and a 3-0 victory for the US.
The Nations League win was the USMNT's second successive triumph in the final of the competition, following on from their extra time victory back in 2021 against Mexico. The defeat of Canada courtesy of goals from Chris Richards and Folarin Balogun, means that they have maintained their record of being the only country to win the CONCACAF Nations League since the competition was created back in 2018.
Remarkably, the win also meant that the US remains unbeaten versus Canada in its last 22 games on American soil, having registered 12 wins and 10 draws during that period. As per Opta, this is the longest home unbeaten run against any opponent in program history.
In truth, victory was probably only to be expected, with the USMNT currently sitting in 13th in the FIFA rankings, compared with Canada who sit in 47th. The USA's supremacy against their neighbours was not lost on the American supporters present for the final in Las Vegas either, with fans having brutally chanted "Stick to hockey" as B.J. Callaghan's players headed towards victory.
Both teams did, of course, play at last year's World Cup in Qatar, with the USMNT having the better luck of the two nations, making the Round of 16 under the tutelage of Gregg Berhalter. They got out of a difficult group containing England, Wales and Iran, before bowing out against the Netherlands in the first knockout round.
Canada, on the other hand, struggled and were beaten in all three of their group games in Qatar, bowing out at the group stage. Having reached only the second World Cup in the country's history, however, competition at the finals did represent a major step forward for the nation.
With the World Cup being held in both nations alongside Mexico in 2026, Canada coach John Herdman insisted that Canada Soccer must now do more to help his team become more competitive in the future. Following the loss versus the US, he said: "We've got to get serious about winning a World Cup, When you play at home, you get a chance to win it.
"You get a chance to get to a quarter final, a semi final, and then get on that roll to win it and we're not serious. We brought a World Cup to our country and we're not serious about winning it and you see how close that team is tonight. Tactically, we were there [with] chances, shots, we were there.
"The margins were so tight tonight, so tight, so we've got to get real. We've got to get real and quick, because these players, they deserve it. They deserve a shot. The country deserves it. All the people that work to bring it deserve a shot. Let's get after it. We're close."
