Diego Luna Shines Bright: Takeaways From USMNT’s Gold Cup Victory vs. Guatemala | OneFootball

Diego Luna’s first-half brace against Guatemala led the U.S. men’s national team to the Gold Cup final.

The USMNT started fast against Guatemala in the Gold Cup semifinals, going up 2–0 within the span of 15 minutes. Luna buried a close-range rebound just four minutes in the fixture and then followed up his opener with a spectacular solo-goal, beating out one defender with a clever stepover before rifling home a right-footed strike from the top of the box.

The Stars and Stripes held onto their two-goal lead until the 80th minute when Olger Escobar pulled one back for Guatemala. What was a lopsided affair suddenly turned into a nervy ending for the USMNT, who was on the backfoot as the visitors tried to complete their comeback.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men stood tall, though, and denied Guatemala an equalizer in the final moments of the game. It was not a perfect team performance by any means from the U.S., but it was enough to get the Stars and Stripes to the Gold Cup final.

Check out three takeaways from the USMNT’s 2–1 victory below.

Diego Luna Makes His Case for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Diego Luna was the USMNT's best player in St. Louis. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

One year ago, Luna was barely on the USMNT’s radar. The Real Salt Lake forward had just two senior caps to his name and did not make the Stars and Stripes’ Copa América 2024 roster. Luna was also left out of the USMNT’s U-21 Olympic squad.

Fast forward to this summer and Luna has become an irreplaceable piece of Pochettino’s squad. The 21-year-old has started every match of the Gold Cup and has three goals and two assists to his name. In fact, just three days after he scored the first goal of his international career, Luna bagged a brace inside of 15 minutes against Guatemala, ultimately sending the Stars and Stripes to the Gold Cup final.

Along with his finishing ability and vision in the final third, the winger plays with grit and pride, something the UMSNT has missed among the current “golden” generation of players. In just 12 senior appearances for the Stars and Stripes, Luna is already a fan-favorite and on his way to becoming a “cult hero,” Tim Howard told Sports Illustrated.

Luna’s impressive performances this summer give Pochettino a new face to consider for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Although many of the USMNT’s superstars are expected to return for the tournament, including starting left winger Tim Weah, Luna deserves the chance to represent his country at the biggest competition in the sport.

Patrick Agyemang Continues Inconsistent Form Up Top

Patrick Agyemang struggled in the Gold Cup semifinals. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Patrick Agyemang’s form at the Gold Cup warrants both praise and criticism. The striker found the back of the net against Trinidad and Tobago and also bagged a late winner for the USMNT against Haiti. He became the fastest player to score five goals for the Stars and Stripes since Jozy Altidore.

Still, there are several worrisome aspects of his game, all of which were on display against Guatemala. Agyemang created zero chances, only took 28 touches on the night and recorded just three shots.

The Charlotte forward lacked quality in the final third, most notably sending a right-footed strike wide after breaking through on goal in the 20th minute. Agyemang, who was once again glaringly offside in the build-up, had acres of time and space on the ball and still failed to even put his shot on target. Although that goal would not have counted, the No. 9 had a similar chance in the second half that was onside, but he squandered the 1-v-1 opportunity by shooting right at the goalkeeper.

Agyemang also bottled a golden chance to set-up Luna's hat trick at the end of the first half. The 24-year-old was off to the races in transition with Luna making a cutting run inside, but he played a poor ball behind the winger, stifling the counter attack.

The Stars and Stripes will need a better performance out of their striker on Sunday if they want to win the Gold Cup.

The USMNT Concedes Another Late Goal

Olger Escobar (center) bagged Guatemala's lone goal on the night. / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

The Stars and Stripes were in cruise control until they conceded in the 80th minute. Suddenly, Guatemala were back in the game and just one goal away from equalizing and potentially jeopardizing the USMNT’s place in the Gold Cup final.

Miscommunication between Chris Richards and Tim Ream left Escobar with just enough time and space to send a right-footed strike past Freese and into the back of the net. The moment was one of several defensive mishaps from the USMNT. Alex Freeman was caught out on multiple occasions, Richards struggled to deliver quality service out the back and Ream made zero tackles on the night.

Pochettino will be displeased with his side for coughing up a clean sheet. The goal also sounded some alarm bells regarding the USMNT’s composure late in matches; the Stars and Stripes squandered their lead against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, conceding a 71st minute equalizer that ultimately forced a penalty shootout.

Against tougher opposition, the USMNT will be punished for their failure to close out games. Although Guatemala could not find a second in the remaining 10 minutes of the match, the game should have never even finished as close as it did.