At the time, who knew a broken nose would change the course of the U.S. men’s national team’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

HOUSTON (AP) — Chris Richards has noticed a turnaround in the U.S. team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a change from both the end of coach Gregg Berhalter’s tenure and the start of Mauricio Pochettino’s.

There are two ways to look at this version of the U.S. men’s national team ahead of Sunday’s Concacaf Gold Cup finale against blood rival Mexico (coverage begins at 6 p.m. PT on FOX and the FOX Sports app).