A Diego Luna brace propelled the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) to their 13th CONCACAF Gold Cup final, overcoming a late challenge from Guatemala to secure a 2-1 semifinal victory at Energizer Park in St. Louis, MO.
The U.S. will face Mexico in the Gold Cup final on Sunday, July 6th at the NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. Mexico advanced with a 1-0 win over Honduras, courtesy of a Raúl Jiménez goal.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino fielded an unchanged lineup following their penalty shootout win against Costa Rica, maintaining momentum.
Luna initiated the scoring in the fourth minute by passing to Alex Freeman, who found Malik Tillman. Tillman skillfully set up Luca De La Torre, whose shot was deflected by Kenderson Navarro to Luna, who scored on the half-volley.
After taking the lead, the U.S. team displayed confidence with flicks and one-touch passes. In the 11th minute, Tillman came close to scoring again, narrowly missing the post.
In the 15th minute, Tillman assisted Luna, who maneuvered past a defender and scored with a powerful shot to extend the lead to 2-0.
Guatemala began creating more opportunities but didn’t threaten goalkeeper Matthew Freese significantly. Freese made a crucial save in the 26th minute from Óscar Santis’ header.
Rubio Rubin’s goal was disallowed for offside in the 29th minute, with Maximilian Arfsten perfectly timing the defensive line to catch Rubin offside.
Despite several opportunities, the U.S. failed to increase their lead, which almost proved costly.
Luna missed a first-half hat-trick chance due to a misstep from Patrick Agyemang. Minutes later, a deflected Sebastian Berhalter free kick required a save from Navarro.
Agyemang had two opportunities in the second half but couldn’t convert them into goals.
In the final 10 minutes, poor defending nearly changed the game’s outcome. Arquímides Ordóñez bypassed several defenders, leading to Olger Escobar scoring for Guatemala, creating tension among U.S. fans.
Coach Pochettino responded with tactical substitutions, introducing Damion Downs and Walker Zimmerman to stabilize the team. Despite late pressure, the U.S. held on, with Freese making a crucial save in injury time.
The U.S. aims to win the Gold Cup for the first time since 2021 and secure Pochettino’s first trophy as USMNT manager.
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