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The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is headed to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final after a tense 2-1 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday in St. Louis. A fast start led by Diego Luna and late-game heroics from goalkeeper Matt Freese helped the Americans survive a second-half surge from Guatemala.

Two Early Goals Set the Tone

Diego Luna, the 5-foot-8 Real Salt Lake midfielder, opened the scoring just four minutes into the match, pouncing on a fumbled save by Guatemalan keeper Kenderson Navarro. He struck again in the 15th minute with a stunning left-footed drive from 22 yards after a setup by Malik Tillman. The quick brace silenced the largely pro-Guatemala crowd and gave Luna his third goal in the tournament making him the U.S. leader in goal contributions in 2025.

At this time last year, Luna was frustrated after being left off the Olympic squad. Now, he’s making a compelling case for inclusion in the 2026 World Cup roster.

Guatemala Pushes Back, Freese Steps Up

Despite the early two-goal cushion, the U.S. couldn’t maintain control. Guatemala outshot them 12-2 in the final 20 minutes of the first half and continued to press in the second. Olger Escobar pulled a goal back in the 80th minute, curling a shot through traffic to make it 2-1.

The pressure intensified deep into stoppage time when Joe Morales unleashed a low strike toward the far post, but Freese made a full-stretch diving save to preserve the lead.

This was Guatemala’s first Gold Cup semifinal since 1996 and their first-ever knockout match against the U.S. The Americans will now face the winner of Mexico vs. Honduras in Sunday’s (July 06) final in Houston, aiming to defend their regional crown. USA has won CONCACAF Gold Cup seven times and Mexico a record 9 times.

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