da pinnacle： The U.S. remains kings of the region, but their ambition is now much bigger than being atop North American soccer

da bet7k： The United States men's national team is, once again, Kings of CONCACAF. With Sunday's Nations League final triumph over Canada, the U.S. have now won each of the last three continental tournaments. When it comes to knockout competitions, no one in this region is coming close to the USMNT.

The fact was never more apparent than over the last few days as the Stars and Stripes were totally dominant on their run to another Nations League crown. They crushed Mexico, 3-0, in one of the most dominant showings in that rivalry's history. They then cruised past a helpless Canada team to a 2-0 win, lifting the trophy for the second time in as many tries.

All of this comes as a young generation is starting to look a little less young. Stars like Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and the newly-committed Folarin Balogun were spectacular, leading the charge for a team that is seemingly getting better and better.

So, with CONCACAF conquered once again, what else is there to prove for this USMNT on the road to 2026?

GettyA strong statement

Despite all of the off-field nonsense that has gone on since the World Cup, it's quite clear that the U.S. hasn't lost a step. Since the moment that the U.S. fell to the Netherlands in Qatar, this team has been firing on all cylinders whenever they're together.

Individually, most of this team has had their struggles at club level. Virtually every key player has faced some sort of adversity over the last six months, from injury issues to benchings to relegation. Collectively, they've carried on under two interim head coaches as the program itself dealt with the fallout of an unprecedented controversy. However, when this group comes together, something changes for all of them.

Right now, the U.S. simply has more quality than the rest of CONCACAF. There are just too many players at big clubs – although that may change soon – compared to the rest of the region. It was clear to see, especially on Sunday night. While Alphonso Davies was playing hero ball for Canada, the U.S. attack was humming and combining throughout the match.

Even without the likes of potential starters Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest, Tim Ream and Cameron Carter-Vickers, the U.S. had no problem dealing with Canada. Even without a permanent head coach, the U.S. was simply too much to handle.

It's a testament to B.J. Callaghan, but also the player pool, which has been expanded massively in recent years. All of the investment from U.S. Soccer, MLS and the country as a whole is starting to pay off as this team simply has more talented players than ever before with no end in sight. The Under-20s are fresh off another quarter-final run at their World Cup, showing that the next generation is already on their way up.

As this group grows up together, performances like these will become more commonplace. They have a World Cup under their belts and now have a few trophies on their resume. The scary part is that it's just getting started.

AdvertisementGettyThe gap to Mexico

For years, Mexico had dominated the region. They were the USMNT's fiercest rivals, but that rivalry was always heavily tilted towards El Tri. Save for a few massive Dos a Cero results, Mexico usually won when it mattered for several decades.

That has shifted in recent years, as the U.S. simply has Mexico's number. El Tri lost to the U.S. in two finals last cycle before falling in a Nations League semi-final this time around. Now, the Mexican program finds itself in turmoil once again.

The fact is that this isn't a coaching problem, even if Diego Cocca may end up paying for this latest failure with his job. Instead, it's more of a talent problem. Stars like Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Andres Guardado and Hector Herrera have not been properly replaced, and Mexico's pipeline has been nowhere near as strong as the USMNT's. While America's top stars are plying their trade in Europe, most of Mexico's are stuck in Liga MX, often priced out of a move they so desperately need.

That is an institutional failure, as the FMF and Liga MX, for years, have made decisions that have set the national team back. Now, at the team's lowest moment in decades, the USMNT is at its highest. This sport can be cruel like that.

Unfortunately for Mexico, it may take some time to shift the balance. The U.S. is deeper, younger and more talented than El Tri, who are staring at the fact that their time as the region's undisputed top dog is over, at least for now.

GettyCanada rising, but not risen

Canada are a rising power in CONCACAF, for sure. They finished atop the World Cup qualifying table last cycle, going unbeaten against the U.S., and found themselves in the Nations League final to start this one. Led by several young superstars, this is the best Canada team in a generation, one that will have learned from their failures in Qatar last year.

Still, there's still much work to be done in Canada. The sport is still, relatively, in its infancy, and it's going to take time. Canada is, by all accounts, ahead of schedule, even if fans won't really care to hear it after a crushing loss in the Nations League final. There's a huge gap, on and off the field, for the country still to make up, as this is very much the first generation really playing this sport on a high level.

After the match, coach John Herdman took aim at Canada Soccer for the federation's lack of investment, which he says harmed his team's preparation. He may be right, but Canada could have prepared for this for six months and still would have been blown away by the USMNT based on that performance.

Canadian soccer still has a lot of growing to do, and the game has already grown so much, but, right now, they're very much second or third fiddle in CONCACAF.

Getty ImagesWhat about the Gold Cup?

The Nations League was, far and away, the best true test of where everyone stands in CONCACAF. By and large, this was a collection of the region's best teams featuring the region's best players. But what does that mean for the Gold Cup? And what does that tournament now mean for the USMNT?

Well, that's a bit of a tricky question. The U.S., quite obviously, will want to win it and, in the process, make it four titles from four tournaments in the last two cycles. That, of course, would make this statement even bigger. However, there's a secondary goal for the USMNT: to widen the player pool.

After the Nations League, the USMNT's heavy hitters will head out for their summer vacation. Save for a few holdovers, the players that lifted the Nations League are done for a while and able to celebrate a job well done.

The Gold Cup squad, meanwhile, is younger and more domestic-based. It's a group of players that are pushing for roster spots or a bit more playing time. And, to be fair, those are the players that need to play the likes of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, two of the USMNT's three Gold Cup opponents. Pulisic, Reyna and co. can only get so much out of those types of games. They only thing they're likely to leave those matches with is a bruised shin.

Because of the players involved, the Gold Cup is less about dominating the region and more about finding the next players that can help the A-Team do that in the years to come. It's about individuals a bit more than the collective. The games are big, for sure, but it's certainly all a bit different than the Nations League, which was a better representation of what this team's top level can look like.