PASADENA, Calif. -- United States national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters that "being liked" was unimportant to him following the team's 3-2 CONCACAF Cup loss to Mexico at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
The loss was Klinsmann's first to Mexico during his tenure as the team's coach and was particularly hard to take because it cost the team a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
The U.S. went to extra time with Mexico and looked set to be headed to penalties to decide the match, until Paul Aguilar volleyed home a winner in the 118th minute to give his team the win.
"Everybody can express his opinion and not everybody likes you. That's totally fine," Klinsmann said. "I'm not here to be liked. I'm trying to do a good job. And I'm privileged to have that role and represent the U.S. soccer program.
"It's a privilege for me and I do my best to my capabilities and leave the judgement out there for your guys or to people that want to express themselves."
Klinsmann said he felt the match was even, especially in the first half, but admitted the second half belonged to Mexico.
However, the U.S. coach added he felt his team had regained the momentum after substitutes Bobby Wood and DeAndre Yedlin connected for a great goal to bring the U.S. level with Mexico at 2-2.
"We had the feeling that the momentum changed. We had it," Klinsmann said. "And I was optimistic if it ends 2-2 going into a shootout with Nick Rimando it would have been a good consolation but it didn't work that way. Andre and Bobby really gave life to the team."
The plan for the penalty shootout had been to bring on Rimando, who Klinsmann called the best penalty blocker in the region. But at the start of the second extra time Fabian Johnson said he could no longer continue playing, which forced Klinsmann to put in Brad Evans as his last substitute.
"And that was a real bummer [when Johnson came off] because we had the feeling that the momentum changed," Klinsmann said. "If it ends 2-2 going into the penalty shootout with Nick Rimando, it would've been a good consolation but it didn't work out that way.
"It was our feeling then that we were closer to the third goal than Mexico was. But they scored that third goal so again congratulations to them."
The loss caps a forgettable stretch of matches for the U.S., who lost to Jamaica and Peru to end the 2015 Gold Cup, then had a less-than convincing friendly win against Peru followed by a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Brazil.
It's back to the drawing board for the U.S. as they prepare to start playing CONCACAF qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup. The team plays St. Vincent on Nov. 13 and Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 17.