'We fulfilled the mission' - Javier Aguirre celebrates as he becomes first Mexico manager to win two Gold Cups

Javier Aguirre delivered Mexico a historic 10th Gold Cup title - and made history himself, becoming the first El Tri manager to win the tournament twice. He reflected on his squad living up to expectations in a 2-1 win over rivals the United States in Sunday’s final.

“One, it's obvious - we're champions. That’s what we came for. We were the favorites, and we fulfilled the mission," Aguirre said. "Two, the connection with the fans - I see people fully engaged, both in the United States and in Mexico. Three, I think we're starting to see the results of our training. In these two tournaments [the Nations League and Gold Cup], we lifted two trophies. That motivates us to keep training, gives consistency to our words, and confidence in the future."

Mexico battled back from an early fourth-minute header by Chris Richards, equalizing through Raúl Jiménez before Edson Álvarez netted the winner. The comeback sealed back-to-back Gold Cup titles and marked Aguirre’s second as head coach, having previously won in 2009.

Aguirre praised his players for not wavering throughout the entire and pointed to the end result as a sign of the progress being made.

“It was a great effort from this team - everyone celebrating, a tremendous effort to stay together for so long. There were setbacks, but from a footballing standpoint, the team improved in performance, and we were deserved winners. It’s not the coach who wins matches and lifts trophies. From May 26 until today, everyone’s behavior has been exemplary. Coaches depend 100 percent on the players,” said Aguirre in a press conference.

Guillermo Ochoa was one of three Mexican players who didn’t see any action during the Gold Cup. Despite that, he lifted the trophy during the celebration as team captain. The goalkeeper holds the record for the most Gold Cup titles by a player, with six championships.

Aguirre’s team will return to action during the September FIFA window, facing Japan on Sept. 6 and South Korea on Sept. 9. Both matches will be played in the United States.