United States beats Mexico 2-0 to win third-straight CONCACAF Nations League crown as goals from Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna ease pressure on coach Gregg Berhalter... but win is marred by homophobic chants

There's been a lot of negatives said about Gregg Berhalter in this past week - about his tactics, his man management, his team selection, the whole lot. All of it was on display against Jamaica in an ugly match that the United States barely escaped from.

All those concerns have merit to them. But even if you're the most staunch 'Berhalter Out' person, you gotta give him credit: the man knows how to beat Mexico.

He did it again tonight. Despite fans and former USA players calling for his job, the manager whose re-hire was deemed a controversy gifted his team a massive morale boost ahead of the Copa America with a 2-0 victory over their biggest international rivals. Dos a cero, once again.

Berhalter's decision to start Adams, a player recovering from injury, was scrutinized. Adams repaid the manager by scoring a rocket of a goal from over 30 yards out to send AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas into hysterics.

At least a few people questioned whether or not Gio Reyna should have been brought into the team despite his lack of minutes at Nottingham Forest. That minority of critics was silenced when Reyna cleaned up a second chance effort to double the lead for the USMNT.

Tyler Adams' wonder strike put the US ahead leading them to a Nations League title

Adams is seen jumping into the arms of his national team manager, Gregg Berhalter

This United States team won the country's third CONCACAF Nations League title

'It never gets old winning titles with your country,' Reyna said with a smile after the match. He would be honored as player of the tournament later in the night. 

This result will likely not change the minds of anyone deeply in the 'Berhalter Out' camp. They'll point to some very clear facts that will reduce the quality of the win.

Yes, this is a bad Mexico team - it's been a bad Mexico team for a while, quite possibly the worst in the history of the nation. Yes, Jaime Lozano is the third person to manage Mexico in a span of just over a year in a black eye for the Mexican Football Federation. Yes, Mexico hasn't beaten the United States since a 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium all the way back in September of 2019.

But give Berhalter this small credit: when people were saying that he didn't deserve the honor of coaching the United States men's national team, he delivered his nation a trophy - their third straight Nations League crown. 

They almost didn't get there. A loss to Jamaica seemed to be on the cards when the Reggae Boys took advantage under a minute into the Nations League semifinal game the Americans played on Thursday.

Throughout that entire match, the USMNT struggled to make an impact. They couldn't break through the back line, their shots seemingly ineffective, their passing wayward, their runs and play in the box disastrous.

But with the last kick of the game, a header from Miles Robinson deflected off Jamaican forward Cory Burke and into his own net to level the game and force extra time. 

Victory followed thanks to a pair of goals from Haji Wright - who took advantage of the exhausted Jamaicans to advance to the final.

Gio Reyna scored with a brilliant volley to go up 2-0 over their rivals in the second half

Berhalter, whose benching of Reyna at the World Cup led to a scandal, hugs the player

There were changes from that squad. Berhalter, realizing that he couldn't start without a holding midfield presence, turned to Adams to start the match alongside Reyna after both came on as substitutes the last game.

The Americans clearly had the advantage from the outset. Adams' strike was a long time coming but was a magnificent shot that sent fans into hysterics. It was his first start in 478 games and only his second goal for the senior team.

'The last time that I played with the national team, obviously, life looked a lot different,' Adams said. 'Now with my son here, my fiance here, the impact that they both have had on me has been phenomenal. They've got me through a lot of dark times. But yeah, being here and sharing this moment with them, I can't wait to see them and give them a big hug, but it means the world to me.'

Even with Adams off in the second half, the United States didn't relent. A wonderful chance was cleared - but not far enough. Reyna saw his opportunity and took it one time past Ochoa. That infamous scoreline, Dos a Cero, came back to haunt Mexico once again.

The match got testy in the second half - with Mexico's Edson Alvarez (L) getting a yellow card

Homophobic chants sounded when Matt Turner kicked the ball - leading to two stoppages

The fans didn't take to that well. Last year in the Nations League semifinals, when the Mexican team was losing badly, fans began chanting homophobic slurs when the American keeper had a goal kick. Despite it happening dozens of times, it took referee Ivan Barton a long time before he ended the match with roughly three minutes remaining.

Flash forward to tonight. Down by that scoreline, scenes of Mexican fans leaving the stadium were met with those same chants. Referee Drew Fischer stopped the match twice as a result of the embarrassing display. 

Before he had the chance to do so a third time, the match ended. Mexico lost Dos a Cero again, as the Americans firmly planted themselves atop CONCACAF with a seven-game unbeaten streak.

As Sergino Dest sprayed champagne over his teammates in the locker room, the Americans celebrated their accomplishment - knowing that a much tougher test lies ahead of them this summer.