Donovan Calls Out Confusing Handball Rule After USMNT’s Gold Cup Exit

The USMNT lost 2-1 to Mexico in the Gold Cup final, but the biggest talking point wasn’t the score — it was a moment that left fans questioning whether a penalty should’ve been awarded to the U.S. late in the match.

The controversy stems from a play where a Mexican defender placed his hand on top of the ball near the ground inside the box. While once this might have been a clear penalty, today it falls under the referee’s interpretation of whether the handball was deliberate — and in this case, the referee decided it wasn’t.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t hold back in the post-match press conference:

“The truth is, if it happened in the opposite half — in their box — for sure it’s a penalty,” Pochettino said.

The debate continued on the latest episode of Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard, where both former USMNT stars weighed in. Donovan, the only one on the field who couldn’t use his hands during his playing days, expressed his frustration with the lack of clarity in the modern rules:

“I just get so fed up with this, because I feel like every single game there’s a moment where you go, ‘Was it or was it not?’” Donovan said.

“And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play where a player literally just puts his hand on top of the ball. It was like Shaq palming a basketball — he just placed his hand right on top of it.

So from a soccer standpoint, I’m thinking, ‘Well, that looks like a handball to me.’ But then all the rules and the laws of the game seem to suggest otherwise.”

As the dust settles on the Gold Cup final, the USMNT will now shift focus to its next matches in September.