Minneapolis, Minnesota — The United States advanced to the semi-finals of the Concacaf Gold Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Costa Rica, following a 2-2 draw in regulation time on Sunday night. The U.S. will square off against Guatemala on Wednesday, after the latter pulled off a surprise win against Canada in a separate quarter-final match.
In a fiercely contested battle, U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese emerged as the hero, making three crucial saves during the shootout. His performance helped secure a 4-3 win in penalties, with Damion Downs scoring the decisive goal in the sixth round.
“They showed great character today,” said USA coach Mauricio Pochettino, reflecting on his team’s resilience throughout the match. Freese, who had devoted time during the flight to Minnesota to study penalty kicks, expressed confidence post-game. “Penalties are my thing,” he remarked, highlighting the preparation he undertook leading up to the shootout.
The United States, which has made it to the semi-finals in 17 of 18 Gold Cups, faced arguably its toughest challenge so far in this tournament. After dominating the group stage with a goal differential of 8-1, the U.S. encountered a well-organized Costa Rican side determined to extend their tournament run.
Regulation time saw goals from Diego Luna and Max Arfsten, but Costa Rica equalized in the 71st minute through Alonso Martinez, whose opportunistic strike followed a rebound created by Carlos Mora’s shot. Concacaf’s decision to eliminate extra time in this year’s edition set the stage for a dramatic finish.
John Tolkin had the chance to seal the victory in the fifth round of penalties, but his effort was thwarted by Keylor Navas. This set the scene for Freese’s heroics, as he denied Andy Rojas before Downs clinched the win.
While the U.S. squad faced its share of challenges, presenting a weakened lineup without stars like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, they showed depth and determination. Costa Rica also felt the pressure of missing key players, having been without Manfred Ugalde and Carlos Mora due to suspensions, as well as other injuries impacting their lineup.
Costa Rica’s Francisco Calvo opened the scoring with a penalty in the 12th minute. Malik Tillman collided with the post during his own penalty attempt, but Luna found the net shortly after, marking his first goal for the national team. Arfsten’s second goal late in the first half seemed to give the U.S. an edge, but Costa Rica’s equalizer demonstrated their tenacity.
As the tournament progresses, the U.S. will aim to maintain momentum heading into the semi-finals. They are set to face a motivated Guatemala side, while Mexico will take on Honduras in the other semi-final match on Wednesday, with the Gold Cup final scheduled for July 6 in Houston.