The Americans have plummeted all the way to fourth in the index -- the same position as their finish in the recent Concacaf Nations League play -- in Wednesday's update. That's the lowest the U.S. has ever been in the regional index since the index was launched in 2018.

It was hard not to sense some version of optimism as the U.S. men's national team gathered in the Los Angeles area last week ahead of the Concacaf Nations League semifinal, a tournament that they were the only previous winners of.

The Concacaf Nations League is not the most glamorous trophy, but for a Mexico side in need of a vibes shift, it serves a major purpose.