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Cesar HernandezJul 2, 2025, 10:00 PM ET
ST. LOUIS -- Led by a brace from Diego Luna, the U.S. men's nationalist team defeated Guatemala 2-1 successful the Gold Cup semifinal connected Wednesday.
Held astatine a sold-out Energizer Park that had a bulk Guatemala crowd, the USMNT instantly deed the crushed moving with a extremity from Luna successful the 4th minute. Pouncing connected a rebounded shot, the Real Salt Lake subordinate stunned the boisterous visitors with his short-range effort that enactment the U.S. up 1-0 aboriginal on.
Eager to support attacking pressure, Malik Tillman stepped up with a long-range walk that switched the tract successful the 15th minute, mounting up Luna with abstraction to dribble guardant and cleverly slot the shot into the backmost of the net, thereby making it 2-0. Los Chapines soon upped their strength successful the last stages of the archetypal half, and besides aft the midway interruption done a precocious 80th-minute extremity from Olger Escobar.
Ultimately, it was excessively little, excessively precocious for the visitors, and by the last whistle, manager Mauricio Pochettino and his USMNT squad secured a 2-1 triumph that has earned them a spot successful Sunday's final.
Following the semifinal successful St. Louis, present are the 3 biggest talking points from Wednesday's U.S. victory.
1. Luna puts connected a amusement with first-half brace
Four minutes.
All state and nary brakes, that's each the clip it took for the energetic Luna to conflict for a rebounded shot disconnected a onslaught from Luca de la Torre and gaffe it into the backmost of the net. Celebrating by sprinting to the country and pointing to the USMNT badge, the goalscoring enactment would beryllium acold from implicit for the 21-year-old.
With abstraction to sprint guardant aft Tillman's walk successful the 15th minute, the buzzing attacking midfielder showcased immoderate fancy footwork earlier launching a changeable from extracurricular the 18-yard container that pushed the USMNT up 2-0. No longer conscionable pointing to the badge, the up-and-coming American prima past turned astir and began pointing to his ain sanction arsenic helium celebrated his brace.
Few players successful the existent roster, if any, showcase the benignant of strength and doggedness that has defined the stocky and heavy tattooed game-changer. At the Gold Cup, helium seems to amusement nary signs of slowing down with 3 goals and 2 assists crossed 5 matches.
2. USMNT brushwood disconnected the pro-Guatemala crowd
On the field, Pochettino and his men person truthful acold survived a gauntlet of Gold Cup obstacles that see highly organized defenses, carnal encounters, and a dramatic punishment shootout past week against Costa Rica.
And connected Wednesday, a caller unsocial condition emerged erstwhile the USMNT abruptly recovered themselves connected the receiving extremity of important boos and jeers from the Energizer Park attendees that appeared to beryllium 60-40 successful favour of Guatemala. Six hours earlier kickoff, fans of Los Chapines already began congregating extracurricular of the venue, opening the festivities and pregaming astatine a parkland adjacent door.
To the recognition of the U.S., they soon brushed disconnected and occasionally silenced the Guatemala supporters that did their part, but were yet incapable to interaction the attacking power of the Americans, who went up 2-0 successful the archetypal half.
In a sense, 1 could marque the statement that Wednesday's ambiance was a illustration of what the U.S. could look successful the final, that is, if Mexico get a triumph successful their ain semifinal connected Wednesday.
3. Shaky moments for the U.S. erstwhile closing retired some halves
Once they took a 2-0 lead, the USMNT past seemed to driblet their strength and switched disconnected arsenic Guatemala began to desperately propulsion higher up the field. In fact, during the archetypal half, Los Chapines outshot the Americans 15 to six.
Matt Freese had a mates of fishy moments during the archetypal 45 minutes successful goal, arsenic did the backline that wasn't capable to confidently stifle Guatemala arsenic overmuch arsenic they would person liked.
The aforesaid could beryllium said astir the closing stages of the match.
Just erstwhile it seemed arsenic if the U.S. could soon statesman to upwind down, Guatemala caught the midfield and defence sleeping arsenic they rapidly moved the shot up the tract and into the 18-yard box. Escobar, grappling among others for the ball, past gained possession and rapidly launched it past Freese's near and beyond his outstretched gloves.
Pochettino's substitutes, thrown successful to settee the game, besides looked a spot mislaid arsenic they were attempting to signifier themselves successful the last minutes.
If Pochettino's men privation to assistance Sunday's Gold Cup title, they indispensable enactment locked successful and not let the absorption the quality to dictate the lucifer arsenic overmuch arsenic they were capable to connected Wednesday.
