The USMNT defender has been buoyed by heartfelt messages from his family as he prepares for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup

• Family support provides emotional boost amid tournament pressure
• Defender enters competition following successful first season with Toulouse in France
• Part of the 26-man squad that Pochettino has taken to the Gold Cup

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Mark McKenzie received a series of touching video messages from family members expressing their pride and support ahead of the USMNT's 2025 Gold Cup campaign. The 26-year-old defender, who completed his first season with French club Toulouse after transferring from Belgian side Genk, shared that the emotional messages arrived just as the team began their tournament preparations, providing him with additional motivation to perform at his best in the tournament.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKenzie enters the Gold Cup as one of the more experienced international defenders on the USMNT roster, having been part of two CONCACAF Nations League championship teams in 2021 and 2024. He, alongside Chris Richards and several others, will be hoping to become key figures as the USMNT battles out to win the Gold Cup on home soil.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The USMNT will kick off their 2025 Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 14 before facing Saudi Arabia on June 20 and then they’ll face Haiti in their final group stage game on June 22.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News