PASADENA, Calif — The buildup to the CONCACAF Cup has offered plenty of reminders about the last meeting at the Rose Bowl between the U.S. and Mexico. The 2011 Gold Cup final is remembered fondly by Mexico fans, and remembered with disgust and dismay by American fans.

Carlos Bocanegra doesn’t need any reminders.

The longtime U.S. national team captain wore the armband on that fateful day in 2011, and the thought of that defeat still stings even after his retirement and shift into a management role as technical director for MLS expansion side Atlanta United.

“That was a heartbreaker,” Bocanegra told Goal USA. “That was one of the toughest ones to take because there was a huge buildup to that one, plus for me it was extra special being in the Rose Bowl, which was kind of my home stadium. That’s where my college football team plays, and I grew up a half hour from there.

“They had a good team and they got us that day," Bocanegra continued. "Gio [dos Santos] was pretty fantastic that day, so it’s nice to see him out of this game in the Rose Bowl. You don’t want him running people ragged in the Rose Bowl again.”

Bocanegra’s time with the U.S. coincided with the period when the Americans took control of the rivalry after decades of Mexican dominance. He had a front row seat to watching the rivalry evolve from one filled with animosity and disdain to one where respect is a much greater component.

“I remember watching in my first few games being part of the team and It just seemed like the games were dirty, there wasn’t much soccer involved, there was just a lack of respect,” Bocanegra said. “You kind of saw that evolve over time when the U.S. started winning and we had the better of the rivalry in the early 2000s to before they beat us in the Gold Cup.

“I think you saw a shift right there,” Bocanegra said. “They started respecting us, and it almost became a point where they didn’t look forward to coming to the U.S. to play us because we had their number.

“I think it showed in the games then that it wasn’t just a nasty fight, there’s no spitting at people. There’s still hard challenges, it’s still a rivalry game, but there’s more respect in the series now.”

The Americans enjoyed an impressive run of success against Mexico in the 2000s, and Bocanegra’s memory of the era was one that saw the U.S. develop a swagger when it came to El Tri matches that helped keep the successful results coming for the better part of a decade.

“Inside our locker room we were confident as hell when we’d play them,” Bocanegra said. “We knew we had their number. We felt good when they came to the U.S. We knew in the big games we had to be at our best, but we felt confident we could overrun them. They were probably going to be better on the possession, but we if we kept our shape we knew we could hit them on the counter and physically we would dominate them.”

As painful as the 2011 Gold Cup final is for Bocanegra to remember, he has plenty of good memories when it comes to the USA-Mexico rivalry, including multiple World Cup qualifying victories, and the one match that stands out the most to him.

“The one that I remember with great joy was in Chicago in the 2007 Gold Cup (final),” Bocanegra said. “It was a pro-Mexico crowd, but a great atmosphere. Tim Howard came up with the big save, Benny Feilhaber scored a great goal, and it was back and forth game.

“It was great for team bonding, great for confidence, it helped push us to that next level. Bocanegra said. “Playing in a big game like that and you see you can win against your rival.”

Bocanegra wasn’t ready to make a prediction on Saturday’s match, but he will be rooting hard for the U.S. to exorcize the demons from the 2011 final. He remembers what winning the 2007 final did for the U.S. team, and is hoping the current U.S. team is able to experience a similar victory.

“Those sort of things bring teams together, and I think that was one of the big points that helped us be such a tight-knit group,” Bocanegra said. “Having the core of that team really fighting together and sticking together to beat Mexico.”