Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentMar 25, 2024, 03:59 AM ETCloseJeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. nationwide group for ESPN FC.ARLINGTON, Texas — United States males’s nationwide group supervisor Gregg Berhalter hailed his facet’s means to play underneath stress in defeating Mexico 2-0 to say its third straight Concacaf Nations League crown Sunday.The U.S. rode targets both facet of halftime from Tyler Adams and CNL Player of the Tournament Giovanni Reyna. The USMNT additionally was rock-steady in protection to increase its unbeaten streak towards Mexico to seven video games, the longest for the U.S. within the collection.- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)“Today’s a final. and you could see the guys are super-focused all throughout the day,” Berhalter mentioned. “To me, we knew what type of game it was going to be, and that was important. We wanted to maintain calm and play our football and credit to the guys because I think the intensity stayed in a really high level for the whole game and that was really important, especially against Mexico.”The U.S. stays the one group to have gained the CNL. Berhalter revealed that he used the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls as motivation for his group, photoshopping the CNL trophy onto a photograph of Jordan holding up three fingers.”That was what we were focused on,” he mentioned of the three-peat. “It doesn’t happen too often. I think in North American sports in the last 50 years, pro sports, it’s probably happened six times, so it’s rare. And congratulations to the guys. Congratulations for playing a great final.”Gregg Berhalter achieved a uncommon feat by main the USMNT to a 3rd straight Concacaf Nations League. Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/Getty PhotosBerhalter was additionally filled with reward for Reyna, who had a goal and two assists.”I think he had a great performance, 75 minutes, and he hasn’t had that much game time in a while,” Berhalter mentioned. “And for him it was just a mental thing. He was determined to grind through it and power through it,and I thought he was doing really well. And you see it got to the point, right where we’re going to take him out, where he actually did cramp up and it was evident that he needed to come out. But I think all tournament long over the last two games, I think he did a great job.”The title was one that just about did not occur, as the U.S. was pushed to the restrict within the CNL semifinal towards Jamaica, needing a stoppage-time personal goal to tie the match earlier than prevailing with two extra targets in time beyond regulation. But Berhalter felt his facet is one which bounces back nicely to subpar performances, although he acknowledged that the U.S. might want to present extra consistency on this summer season’s Copa America and two years down the highway within the World Cup.”For me it’s really focusing on that type of performance every game and that’s what it’s going to take to be successful at an event like the World Cup,” he mentioned. “But I know the guys in the last World Cup, as soon as they got to camp, it was like focus, focus, focus. They were on it. And same thing in this camp as the camp went on … For me it’s about really taking advantage of every single opportunity we have because before we know it, 2026 is going to be here.”