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What Went Wrong for Diego Luna Vs Mexico? Clint Dempsey Weighs In

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Saurabh Saket | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 8:41 AM ET

The USMNT had a rough night at the office tonight with the team suffering a disservice defeat at the hands of Mexico in the finals of the Gold Cup. Despite being favored as contenders to lift the title, Mauricio Pochettino's men just lacked the killer instinct in the final third to get one over their rivals.

The Stars and Stripes had just three shots on target throughout the game, with Chris Richards' strike in the 3rd minute serving as the team's only goal. Meanwhile, Mexico displayed their attacking prowess throughout the fixture, with Alexis Vega, Raúl Jiménez, and Edson Álvarez constantly posing a threat.

Diego Luna, who has been a key feature in Pochettino's attacking setup, had a hard time against the tricolor, with the winger unable to make an impact, which ultimately led to his substitution for Brenden Aaronson as a last-ditch effort in the 86th minute.

Dempsey defends Diego Luna despite poor outing

Former USMNT star Clint Dempsey had his say on the matter following the team's defeat against Mexico. Speaking on The Deuce, the former Fulham star reflected on Diego Luna's performance and what may have contributed to his poor performance in the attacking third.

"He essentially had to play auxiliary left back for much of the 1st half."

"It reminds me of my time at Fulham playing under Roy Hodgson, when we would double-up on their wingers."

Clint Dempsey and Rog talk about Diego Luna not being able to force the attack against Mexico pic.twitter.com/OLEgidSCFL
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Dempsey stated, "For sure, it looked like he was playing deeper than what he wanted. When in the game, it's not as bad; you have to grind. It just makes it difficult when you have to move forward. It reminds me of my time at Fulham playing under Roy Hodgson, when we would double up on opposing wingers."

He then added, "It looked like in the situation, he was doing too much work defensively to leave him with energy to go forward. "

Diego Luna will look to shrug off the performance against Mexico tonight as the player continues to be a key asset for Mauricio Pochettino. With the World Cup on the horizon, the team will look to fix the chinks in their armor in what could be a crucial campaign for the team in front of a stoked home crowd.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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