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USA vs. Guatemala player ratings: USMNT score, result as Diego Luna brace leads Gold Cup semifinal win

Kyle Bonn

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USA vs. Guatemala player ratings: USMNT score, result as Diego Luna brace leads Gold Cup semifinal win image

The United States once again refused to do it the easy way, but they managed to secure a spot in the Gold Cup final with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Guatemala in St. Louis on Wednesday evening.

In front of a heavily pro-Guatemala crowd, Diego Luna’s early brace proved decisive, with the Real Salt Lake winger scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes.

From that point on, Guatemala proved a frustrating opponent, at times out-playing the USMNT midfield and causing problems for Mauricio Pochettino’s back line. The U.S. managed to hang on for dear life, conceding a consolation goal to substitute Olger Escobar 10 minutes from full-time but held on from there.

MORE USMNT-GUATEMALA: 

A promising start gave way to a highly uncomfortable match overall, with the U.S. midfielders struggling to maintain control of the match and the defenders forced to commit fouls just to keep a lid on the opponent.

Next up is a likely date with border rivals Mexico in the Gold Cup final unless Honduras can pull off a shocking upset in the second semifinal.

The Sporting News followed the USA vs. Guatemala match live, providing score updates, commentary, and analysis.

JUMP TO: Latest live updates | Player Ratings | Final match stats | Team news and lineups

USA vs. Guatemala final score

 ScoreGoal scorers
USA2Luna (4', 15')
Guatemala1Escobar (80')

Location: Energizer Park (St. Louis, MO)
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)

Keep track of every game and every goal this summer via SN's live Club World Cup scoreboard

Starting lineups:

USA (4-3-3, right to left): 25. Freese (GK) — 16. Freeman, 3. Richards, 13. Ream, 18. Arfsten (Zimmerman, 85') — 8. Berhalter, 4. Adams (Tolkin, 77'), 14. de la Torre (B. Aaronson, 58') — 17. Tillman, 24. Agyemang (Downs, 85'), 10. Luna (McGlynn, 77').

Guatemala (4-3-3, right to left): 12. Navarro (GK) — 7. Herrera, 4. Pinto, 3. Samayoa, 16. Morales — 13. Robles (Franco, 65'), 5. Rosales (Castellanos, 65'), 11. Munoz (Escobar, 65') — 10. Altan (A. Ordonez, 70'), 9. Rubin (Lom, 70'), 18. Santis.

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USA vs. Guatemala stats

USAStatGuatemala
12Shots20
7Shots on target5
1.76Expected goals1.32
49%Possession51%
315Accurate passes325
2Corners6
15Fouls15
4Yellow cards2

USA vs. Guatemala goals, highlights from Gold Cup semifinals

FULLTIME: USA 2-1 Guatemala

That was far from convincing, but the United States has booked a spot in the Gold Cup final!

90+2 min: Chance, Guatemala! Halfway through four minutes of added time, Matt Freese makes a great save on a shot from distance!

85th min: A much-needed substitution sees Max Arfsten come of for Walker Zimmerman, which was 10 minutes too late. Damion Downs enters to replace Patrick Agyemang. No more subs for the United States.

80th min: GOAL! GUATEMALA! The visitors have a goal back as Olger Escobar comes off the bench and slots home a lifeline!

Escobar does brilliantly to recognize there's space in front of the U.S. back line, especially with John Tolkin playing out of position off the bench, and there's nobody to step in front of his effort which slots inside the far corner!

77th min: Diego Luna's night is done along with Tyler Adams, replaced by John Tolkin and Jack McGlynn. That's an odd one, we'll see how they shape up, because Tolkin and Arfsten are both left-backs and they've taken out a midfielder.

65th min: Mass changes in midfield for Guatemala see Olger Escobar, Oscar Castellanos, and Jonathan Franco come on for Rudy Munoz, Jose Rosales, and Stheven Robles. Minutes later, Rubio Rubin also exits without a goal, replaced by Darwin Lom, and Arquimides Ordonez takes over for Pedro Altan. That brings us to a hydration break.

61st min: Chance, USA! Patrick Agyemang's first involvement sees him connect with Alex Freeman's cross and force a big save out of the goalkeeper! His leap was exceptional as he torched his defender aerially, but the finish is too central with the whole goal to shoot at from point-blank range.

58th min: Mauricio Pochettino makes his first substitution, recognizing that Luca de la Torre was struggling to keep control of the midfield and is on a yellow card. Brenden Aaronson comes in.

2nd half kickoff: They're back under way with no changes for either side!

HALFTIME: USA 2-0 Guatemala

The United States have a two-goal lead thanks to Diego Luna's early heroics, but they were put under significant pressure through the final 15 minutes of the half that saw Guatemala disappointed not to get a goal back. There were multiple defensive mistakes that have become a part of the U.S. personality this summer.

Still, they remain two goals in front at the break, allowing the players to regroup and get whatever tweaks Mauricio Pochettino wants to make in the hopes of improving their defensive structure against a spirited Guatemala side.

15th min: GOAL! USA!!!! DIEGO LUNA WITH ANOTHER!! THIS ONE'S MUCH MORE IMPRESSIVE!!!

He absolutely ROASTS Jose Pinto with a stepover atop the penalty area, finding space on his right foot to slot home a pinpoint effort in the lower-left corner past a diving Kenderson Navarro!

4th min: GOAL! USA!!!! DIEGO LUNA HAS HIS SECOND INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN AS MANY MATCHES! He pokes home the rebound off an initial save, and it's an early lead for the United States!

Kickoff: They're under way at Energizer Park! The regular home of St. Louis City SC is now the home of tonight's Gold Cup semifinal. The winner will reach the final to face either Mexico or Honduras!

USA vs. Guatemala: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

30 mins to kickoff: Tim Ream, who is captaining the USMNT for the 11th time, and doing so in his hometown of St. Louis, is the only player on this entire U.S. roster who has played against Guatemala before. That's because these teams haven't met since 2016! That's a pretty incredible length of time, considering CONCACAF teams face each other often nowadays between the Nations League and a Gold Cup every two years.

1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and Mauricio Pochettino has named an unchanged XI from the 2-2 draw with Costa Rica. The only slight surprise is that Max Arfsten retains his place over John Tolkin at left-back. Arfsten, a former winger, has been great going forward but struggled mightily at the back in the quarterfinal draw, largely at fault for both goals conceded.

1 hour 30 mins to kick: The USMNT will meet a familiar face tonight as they lineup against former U.S. international Rubio Rubin will be lining up against them. Rubin made seven appearances for the USMNT before he realized he was on the fringe of the setup and made the switch to Guatemala.

Read more about Rubin's time with the U.S. and his move to represent Guatemala here.

2 hours to kickoff: Lacking its top-end players, the USMNT has hung its hat this Gold Cup on grit. Mauricio Pochettino hailed the team's fight, citing a scuffle in the Costa Rica game where goalkeeper Matt Freese came running two thirds of the way down the pitch to engage with the opposition and protect his teammates.

"That means a lot, because it means we are connected, that we care about my teammate," Pochettino said in his pre-match press conference. "That needs to be natural, that is why they deserve the whole credit. Experienced players but also the young players that listen to the experienced players, that is the important thing. If not, it is impossible to grow as a team. We can select 26 players, but then to be a team is a different thing. We can have 26 players who play in an individual way and it's difficult to have this type of behavior. That is because they care."

USA vs. Guatemala player ratings

MAN OF THE MATCH: DIEGO LUNA

Diego Luna's brace made the difference, earning him Man of the Match. His opening 15 minutes gave the United States the win, with his second goal proving especially impressive.

It was far from an exceptional performance, as Luna was put under heavy defensive pressure throughout the match with Guatemala targeting his side of the pitch primarily with their attacking moves. He began to lose his attacking influence while having to do so much defending, and he ultimately had to be withdrawn after being booked in the second half.

Clearly Luna has proven he can be a difference-maker for this team, and he's put himself in contention for a spot on next summer's World Cup roster.

USMNT starters

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese — 7

The penalty shootout hero against Costa Rica has experienced a roller coaster ride this summer. He hasn't been great in goal on the whole, suffering defeat in a pre-tournament friendly against Turkey and making a glaring error to concede a goal against Haiti. Yet, in the penalty shootout last round, he was utterly brilliant, and that could potentially springboard him to improve going forward.

Made a strong save at his near post to deny Rubio Rubin in the 34th minute, although he probably should have come off his line to challenge the effort earlier. Seconds later he did the right thing and challenged a shot outside his six-yard box which saved his defense's bacon again.

His two best moments came in the final minutes of each half. In the 44th minute, he made a spectacular stop on a free header off a corner kick, and in second-half stoppage time, he did extremely well to get down to his right to parry an effort from outside the penalty area. A very good

Right-back: Alex Freeman — 5

While not exactly impressive, Freeman has maintained a steady presence at a right-back position suffering from significant depth issues in the USMNT player pool.

Was wasteful in the first half against Guatemala, misplacing a number of passes and crosses. Completely whiffed with a tackle in the 74th minute which resulted in a Guatemala chance. Ultimately didn't have as much defending to do with Guatemala focusing on attacking the U.S. left flank.

Center-back: Tim Ream — 5

Now 37 years old, Ream's ability to maintain a starting international spot speaks just as much to the lack of quality at the center-back position as it does to Ream's effectiveness. He needs someone like Chris Richards next to him to clean up messes, but he has so far avoided any glaring mistakes this summer.

Got cooked by Rubio Rubin on a long-ball in the 34th minute which forced Matt Freese into a good save. Lost his mark again minutes later to concede a headed chance on a cross from the Guatemala left.

After a chance to rest at halftime, looked more sure of himself, ultimately winning all five of his duels, but still failed to put in a convincing performance.

Center-back: Chris Richards — 6

The USMNT has benefitted greatly from Richards being available this summer, and he has been a star performer both defensively and on set pieces in front of goal.

His distribution in this match was great, but he struggled at times to communicate with Tim Ream on who to mark. This left him without a man to defend on a few occasions when Guatemala came close. Found himself booked for a foul late in the first half.

Did very well early in the second half to read a Guatemala corner and close down a free man atop the penalty area. His 84% passing mark is poor for a defender, but overall his performance was enough and he remains the clear leader amidst a thin defensive depth chart.

Left-back: Max Arfsten — 5

The quarterfinal against Costa Rica — and, to be honest, this Gold Cup as a whole — has been a rollercoaster for Arfsten, who looks shambolic at times defensively but has done his best to make up for it on the offensive end. Last match, he contributed to both U.S. goals (one goal, one assist) and was largely at fault for both Costa Rica goals as well.

Looked wobbly again early, as he flubbed a cross just minutes into the game. Completely lost a man ball-watching in the 26th minute to give Guatemala a headed chance. Was very lucky to step forward at the last possible moment to put Rubio Rubin offside on his disallowed goal. His one positive moment was winning a foul just outside the penalty area to give Sebastian Berhalter a good look on goal.

For some ungodly reason, Mauricio Pochettino put him at center-back for a fateful 10-minute stretch, which unsurprisingly resulted in a Guatemala goal. Order was restored when he was replaced by Walker Zimmerman for the final minutes.

Midfielder: Sebastian Berhalter — 6

Gregg Berhalter's son hasn't exactly stood out much this summer, and he missed his penalty in the shootout against Costa Rica, but he hasn't been poor either. His best moments have been on set-pieces, where he can both trouble the goalkeeper himself or set up a teammate for chances.

Was tidy in possession throughout the first half against Guatemala, contributed well to the team's progression forward, and put in a fantastic tackle past the half-hour mark to start a move the other way. Delivered a great free-kick just before halftime which forced a big save out of the goalkeeper.

Berhalter and de la Torre struggled to keep Guatemala from gaining control of the match in the final half-hour, and his influence heavily faded in the second half.

Midfielder: Tyler Adams — 6

While Tim Ream wears the armband, Tyler Adams is the undisputed leader of this club. He has been a rock at the heart of the U.S. midfield, and when missing, his absence has been felt.

He was solid through the first half of the match, making one big tackle just before the break. However, Guatemala's outside-in attacking plan neutralized Adams' ability to shield the defensive line on opposition moves through the middle, so his effectiveness was limited. When he got on the ball, he was good in possession, hitting on 37 of 40 first-half passes, including 4/5 long and three into the final third.

Pochettino deciding to remove Adams for Tolkin resulted directly in a Guatemala goal.

Midfielder: Luca de la Torre — 6

With Johnny Cardoso struggling early in the summer fixtures before picking up an ankle injury, de la Torre has done well to earn his spot in the XI. His possessional distribution and progressive intent have been a breath of fresh air for this side, often playing a key role against defensive opposition.

Played a role early as his shot in the fourth minute resulted in a goal for Diego Luna when the goalkeeper put it right into the path of the U.S. winger. Struggled early in the second half to deal with Guatemala's physicality and lost control of the midfield a bit. Picked up a yellow card trying to deal with this issue after being bypassed by Pedro Altan, which led to Pochettino giving him the hook.

Overall, a pretty good shift, especially in possession, but his inability to keep control of the midfield in the second half is unfortunate.

Right wing: Malik Tillman — 6

Malik Tillman has been the clear winner from this summer's slate of games, as he has impressed significantly as both a winger and a more central No. 10. The U.S. has clear instructions to find Tillman both in the build-up and around the penalty area, and they have done so repeatedly to great effect.

Again, he was heavily involved throughout the match, and while he wasn't a complete menace like in previous matches, he still combined well with teammates. Picked up the assist on Diego Luna's second goal, although it was just in name as Luna did all the hard work. Laid a terrible back-pass to Matt Freese in the 40th minute that ended up in a Guatemala corner.

Tillman faded a bit after halftime but continued to work hard, winning a massive foul deep into stoppage time to ease the pressure when Guatemala was pushing for an equalizer.

Striker: Patrick Agyemang — 5

Opinions have been divided on Agyemang's performances this summer, but his involvement in the attacking buildup cannot be disputed. This was on display when his excellent hold-up play contributed significantly to the second U.S. goal against Costa Rica, which at the time put them in front.

He struggled to remain onside throughout the first half, caught leaning on multiple occasions. Delivered a poor ball to Diego Luna on the counter late in the first half that ended a promising attack.

Did very well to out-jump his defender on an Alex Freeman cross on the hour mark, but his header was too central and in a saveable position with the whole goal to pick out. Waited too long to recognize the run of Tillman which resulted in an offside call.

His failure to put a 65th-minute chance on net wasn't his fault, as Brenden Aaronson recognized his run too late, forcing Pat to hesitate slightly to stay onside and mucking up the timing. Nearly created his own chance minutes later on a shot that required two defenders to clear. A disappointing performance overall, but the volume remains promising.

Left Wing: Diego Luna — 8

Luna was a man-possessed early in this match. His awareness provided an early opener for the United States as he knocked in the rebound off Luca de la Torre's initial save, and he sparkled on an impressive second to pick up a brace under 15 minutes into the game.

Had a ton of defending to do as Guatemala picked on his side of the field. Picked up a booking early in the second half for a late foul that maybe had a touch of frustration. After his goals, he was forced to defend a ton which limited his influence, and he had to be withdrawn thanks to his yellow card.

USMNT substitutes

58th min: Brenden Aaronson — 4

Entered for Luca de la Torre on the hour mark hoping to help regain control of the match from Guatemala's physical play. His feed for Patrick Agyemang was poor and late, forcing the striker to hold for just a second and leaving the ball largely out of reach.

12 touches in 32 minutes is extremely poor, and winning just two of his six duels, Aaronson was unable to help the U.S. see out the match effectively.

77th min: John Tolkin — 5

Came on with 13 minutes to go in place of Tyler Adams, which was an odd one. It looked as he came on to play a left wing-back position moving Max Arfsten to a third center-back, which directly resulted in the goal. It's not really Tolkin's fault he was put in such a ridiculous position.

77th min: Jack McGlynn — 5

Took over for Diego Luna towards the end of the match with the U.S. needing more defensive ability and Luna booked. Had just five touches and one defensive action, which wasn't enough to help regain control of the game.

85th min: Walker Zimmerman — 7

Came on for Max Arfsten once it became obvious playing the left-back starter at center-back wasn't sustainable. Smartly won a foul that ended a Guatemala chance early in stoppage time. Did his job to calm the rising Guatemala tide.

85th min: Damion Downs — N/A

Entered for Patrick Agyemang down the stretch to help with hold-up play and defend. Had one touch.

USA vs. Guatemala lineups, team news

Mauricio Pochettino kept confidence in goalkeeper Matt Freese after his glaring error against Haiti, and his penalty shootout heroics rewarded that faith. It's hard to imagine too many changes to the lineup the rest of the way, although the boss could consider a switch at left-back as Max Arfsten has been defensively porous. John Tolkin could get a chance.

Johnny Cardoso picked up an ankle injury and misses the second straight match, while Haji Wright's Gold Cup is over due to an Achilles injury. Injured players cannot be replaced on Gold Cup rosters in this year's edition of the competition.

The U.S. are without injured regulars Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, and Folarin Balogun for this tournament, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna are unavailable as they are participating in the Club World Cup. Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah requested to have the summer off and are not with the side.

Yellow card accumulation is wiped in the semifinals, meaning players can only be banned from the final if they are sent off in this game.

USA starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Freese (GK) — Freeman, Richards, Ream, Arfsten — Berhalter, Adams, de la Torre — Tillman, Agyemang, Luna.

USA subs: Turner (GK), Tolkin, Zimmerman, M. Robinson, Harriel, McKenzie, P. Aaronson, McGlynn, B. Aaronson, Sullivan, Downs, White.

The Guatemala attack is led by former USA international Rubio Rubin who switched to represent Guatemala in 2022 after none of his seven USMNT senior appearances cap-tied him to his country of birth.

Regular starting goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen, who plays for Columbus Crew, has picked up an injury and will miss the rest of the tournament, leaving backup Kenderson Navarro as the man between the sticks.

Head coach Luis Fernando Tena decided not to call in veterans Alejandro Galindo or Carlos Mejia, both of whom have over 50 international caps but are now 33 years old.

Guatemala starting XI (5-3-2, right to left): Navarro (GK) — Herrera, Pinto, Samayoa, Morales — Robles, Rosales, Munoz — Altan, Rubin, Santis.

Guatemala subs: Moran (GK), Aguilar, Ardon, Castellanos, Escobar, Franco, Saravia, K. Ramirez, Lemus, Ordonez, Lom, Cardoza.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.