USMNT 2–1 Guatemala: Player Ratings As Mauricio Pochettino Leads USMNT to Gold Cup Final | OneFootball

The U.S. men’s national team secured a 2–1 victory over Guatemala at Energizer Park to punch their tickets to the Gold Cup final.

Just three days after the USMNT dispatched a resilient Costa Rica side in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, the Stars and Stripes were back in action against Guatemala. Mauricio Pochettino’s men got off to a dream start in the Gold Cup semifinals when Diego Luna found the back of the net inside of four minutes.

Luca de la Torre tried his luck at goal from the top of the box, forcing Kénderson Navarro to make a save. The goalkeeper sent the ball right to Luna, who calmly buried the USMNT’s opener. The Real Salt Lake forward bagged his second of the night just 11 minutes later with a brilliant piece of individual skill.

Guatemala momentarily pulled one back in the 29th minute only to be denied by the offside flag. The visitors applied relentless pressure to close out the first half, prompting a few nervy moments from Matt Freese and the USMNT’s defense, but the Stars and Stripes held strong and went down the tunnel up 2–0.

Patrick Agyemang had two golden opportunities to add to the USMNT’s lead in the second half, but the striker was off the mark, lacking quality in the final third. Still, the hosts stayed in firm control of the match until they conceded in the 80th minute. Miscommunication from Pochettino’s backline left the door open for Olger Escobar to get Guatemala on the scoresheet.

The late goal was not enough to spoil the USMNT’s night in St. Louis, though. The U.S. closed out the game and advanced to the Gold Cup final, where they will face either Mexico or Honduras.

Check out player ratings from the match below.

USMNT Player Ratings vs. Guatemala (4-2-3-1)

Diego Luna scored both of the USMNT's goals. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Guatemala Player Ratings vs. USMNT (4-4-2)

Olger Escobar pulled one back for Guatemala, but it was not enough to spark a comeback. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Ratings Provided by FotMob

Player of the Match: Diego Luna (USMNT)