Survive and Advance: USMNT Escapes Costa Rica, Faces Giant-Killing Guatemala Next
The U.S. men’s national team is still alive in the Gold Cup. Barely.
On a humid night in Minnesota, the Americans surrendered yet another second-half lead, got pushed into a six-round penalty shootout, and needed three saves from Matt Freese to escape a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica and move on. Damion Downs buried the final spot kick, and just like that, the U.S. is into the semifinals.
This wasn’t dominance. This wasn’t cathartic. It was just enough.
Freese, the NYCFC keeper who has started all tournament over World Cup veteran Matt Turner, came up massive. He denied three penalties and looked every bit the part of a player forcing his name into the conversation for 2026. The U.S. will now face Guatemala on Wednesday in St. Louis with a chance to reach another Gold Cup final.
The night started in familiar fashion. Promising possession, midfield control, early chances. And then a mistake. Max Arfsten, who otherwise played a gritty two-way game, mistimed a slide in the 10th minute that clipped Kenneth Vargas just inside the area. Referee Walter López Castellanos immediately pointed to the spot.
Francisco Calvo, back on familiar turf after three years with Minnesota United, sent Freese the wrong way and the Ticos had a lead in the 12th minute.
The U.S. responded with tempo. Malik Tillman, slippery and decisive, kept finding pockets between the lines. One of those runs led to a penalty of his own in the 31st minute after a late lunge from Juan Pablo Vargas. Four minutes later, after a lengthy VAR check, Tillman stepped up himself and smacked his shot off the post.
He barely flinched.
Six minutes later, Diego Luna made the miss easier to forget. Arfsten found him near the top of the box and Luna’s shot took a cruel deflection off a Costa Rican defender, sending Keylor Navas the wrong way. The crowd roared. It was 1-1 and it felt like the Americans were waking up.
They took the lead two minutes into the second half. Arfsten again involved, this time arriving at the back post to finish a low cross from Tillman. Redemption for the penalty. Redemption for the missed chances that followed.
Then the legs gave out.
Costa Rica, patient and opportunistic, kept probing. Alonso Martínez, a handful in training and even more so in the match, peeled off the back line and pounced on a loose ball in the 71st minute to equalize.
Mauricio Pochettino waited. And waited. His subs came late. Too late to wrestle back control. Downs came on in the 78th. Luna exited in the 83rd. Arfsten finally got a breather after a high-mileage shift. The U.S. looked spent. Extra time loomed but never arrived.
Instead, penalties.
Martínez started the shootout with a cool finish past Freese. Tyler Adams answered. Then came the first Freese save, a low dive to stop Vargas. Tillman stepped up and drilled his shot inches from where he missed earlier. 2-1 U.S.
The sequence swung. Santiago van der Putten hit. Sebastian Berhalter missed. Freeman converted. Calvo had a second look but went center mass. Freese stood tall and punched it away.
John Tolkin had a chance to end it but Navas, somehow, guessed right.
Round six. Andy Rojas for Costa Rica. Freese again. A low stop to his left. Downs, calm and composed, finished the job with a clean strike into the side netting. U.S. players sprinted toward the spot. Freese turned toward the crowd and raised both arms.
There is a semifinal ahead. There are still real questions. But tonight, the U.S. survived. Mauricio Pochettino’s team must regroup quickly for a Guatemala side riding high after a historic upset.
Guatemala is into its first Gold Cup semifinal in nearly three decades. It knocked out Canada on penalties after capitalizing on a red card and equalizing through Rubio Rubin. The former U.S. international has become a focal point for a side thriving on belief and discipline.
The U.S. dominated the ball in the quarterfinals but showed fatigue late. Expect lineup rotation from Pochettino, especially in midfield, where legs looked heavy. Freese is likely to start again after his shootout heroics.
Guatemala will sit deep, defend in numbers and look to frustrate. If the U.S. lacks sharpness in the final third, this could be tight. But with the home crowd behind them and a ticket to the final on the line, the Americans know what’s at stake.