It was a statement from Diego Luna and the USMNT to book their place in the Concacaf Gold Cup final following a 2-1 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday. Luna scored in the fourth minute of play before completing his brace in only 15 minutes with an audacious finish, and the USMNT held on from there. Guatemala pushed Matt Freese into some good saves in net as they outshot the USMNT, but the defense didn’t break. Tightening up in the second half, the USMNT were able to hold on and now they’ll face either Mexico or Honduras in the Gold Cup final on Sunday.
While the match had nervy moments, the USMNT came out on the right end of things, and that’s all Pochettino can ask for. Luna’s star continues to rise since breaking his nose in January and staying on to assist a goal, and he’s more than knocking on the door for the 2026 World Cup squad, which is just what this Gold Cup camp is for. Just three years ago, Luna was playing for El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship, and now he’s on the verge of a World Cup roster. More players are looking to make statements during this camp but his performances have been the center of the team.
The defense still needs to improve, with it being too easy for Olger Escobar to score late, but they’re in the final, and that’s what matters as a trophy could be 90 minutes away. The partnership of Tim Ream and Chris Richards has been an experienced one but they haven’t brought the steadiness that would be expected. Adding in newer players like Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten and without Freese, this team may not be in the final. It’s not going to always be pretty and winning ugly hasn’t been among the USMNT’s strong suits lately but it could be changing as they get more time under Pochettino.
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“It’s the grit. It’s the determination that we’ve been lacking, to be honest, it’s fighting to the end, every ball, every moment. The game’s about moments, and I think this is where we showcase it,” Luna said to Fox Sports following the game. “It’s 90 minutes of hundreds of moments, and you’ve got to execute on each one.”
Luna’s words make it easy to see how the USMNT could withstand 20 shots from Guatemala and fight for a result. Even the four yellow cards that were picked up during the match show that this squad cares and are digging in, and that’s something that can’t be taught.