The USMNT's run in the Gold Cup came to a sudden end Sunday night, as they couldn't sustain an early lead and lost 2-1 to Mexico - the sixth time El Tri have prevailed in the eight meetings between the two nations in this tournament's final.

In the view of USMNT star defender Chris Richards and manager Mauricio Pochettino, the outcome was affected by a series of poor officiating decisions. The biggest controversy came in the 66th minute, when Mexico's Jorge Sanchez appeared to grab the ball as he fell forward in the U.S. box. No handball was called.

"Homie palmed the ball like Shaq in the box," Richards said after the match, referencing former NBA superstar big man Shaquille O'Neal. "That's CONCACAF for you - they hate us. But we have to just keep moving with it."

Pochettino agreed, suggesting the referees played to the crowd at NRG Stadium - which was largely in support of Mexico

"I want to tell the truth. The truth is that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, it's for sure a penalty," the manager said. "We cannot talk about rules. You say it's a silly penalty, and plenty of penalties are so silly. He was a player with the knee on the floor, and he pushed his hand over the ball.

"It's an excuse now, but if that was a penalty, maybe it's 2-1 for us, and maybe we are now celebrating with the trophy. I's not about crying or complaining or to put excuses on different things. But at the same time, we continue talking. For me, it was embarrassing to see that situation and it's a shame because 70,000 people giving this penalty, it's not easy. Maybe against [us], it's a bit easier."

The U.S. will next reconvene for their September friendlies, with matches against South Korea and Japan.