The defending champion US came from a goal down to top Mexico 2-1 and win a fourth Gold Cup crown at Chicago's Soldier Field on Sunday.
Landon Donovan scored his 34th career goal, tying Eric Wynalda atop the career list, and Benny Feilhaber connected on a gorgeous volley after Jose Andres Guardado's goal in the 44th minute, El Tri's first on US soil in nine matches.
The victory for the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean extended the US team's dominance over their neighbors to the south and gave them a berth in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The US is 9-1-2 against Mexico since 2000, including 8-1-0 on US soil.
"Awesome. Awesome," said Donovan, who still wore his champions medal when he left the locker room. "We haven't played that way, haven't played down a goal," he said. "I'm proud of us, because that's not easy."
Mexico had a chance to level in the 89th minute when Adolfo Bautista came up with a loose ball in front of the goal. However, goalkeeper Tim Howard reached up as he was falling and punched the ball free to preserve the win.
"They deserve to the No. 1 team in CONCACAF," Mexico striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco said. "They played well, but we had a number of chances. We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities."
After the final whistle, the US players ran over to Sam's Army -- really more of a platoon -- to salute the small contingent of US fans. Donovan tossed his shirt into the stands, then grabbed a US flag that a fan tossed and wrapped it around his shoulders.
The US' fourth Gold Cup title tied Mexico. It also kept new coach Bob Bradley's unbeaten record intact at 10-1-0. Bradley took over as interim coach after Bruce Arena was let go and was given the job permanently last month.
"Each competition, we talk about what it takes to become a really good team," Bradley said. "We're very excited about the fact we can get stronger as a group and win this. It means a lot to all of us."
His task gets tougher on Thursday, when he leads a US team without most its regulars against Argentina at the Copa America, South America's championship.
"Once again you saw today ... we did it the hard way," said goalkeeper Kasey Keller, one of the few veterans going to Venezuela. "If we want to beat the teams we're playing against away from home, we need to do these little things. Because against Argentina, I doubt we're going to have two chances to put the game away."
Mexico did the early counterattacking, pushing and shoving and playing the US' kind of game.
After struggling to finish several chances, Nery Castillo beat Oguchi Onyewu and crossed to an unmarked Guardado in front of the box in the 44th. As Howard slipped, Guardado poked in the ball, setting off a frenzied celebration on the field and in the stands.
"When you lose doing what we did, you can't be sad," Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez said. "It bothers me, sure. But when you look at how we did in the tournament, we got a lot better and we deserved a better result. Sometimes the team that plays better doesn't always win."
The US received a break in the 60th when Brian Ching was tripped up in the box by Jose Jonny Magallon. Compared to the other rough-and-tumble antics, this didn't look like a foul. Magallon tugged at Ching's jersey and the two tangled feet as Ching turned around.
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