USMNT Led by Diego Luna Finishes Guatemala, Advances to Concacaf Gold Cup Final
The USA will compete for its eighth Gold Cup trophy in Houston at NRG Stadium on July 6 at 7 p.m. ET
The U.S. Men’s National Team advanced to its 13th Concacaf Gold Cup Final on Wednesday night. The USMNT punched its ticket with a 2-1 win over Guatemala in the tournament semifinals.
Midfielder Diego Luna tallied the two goals in the first half. Luna netted his first National Team goal in the quarterfinal against Costa Rica, and in his 11th career cap, he bagged his first international brace.
In the Gold Cup's 34-year history, the Americans have taken home the trophy seven times and will have the chance to earn their eighth on Sunday, July 6. The United States won the inaugural biennial tournament in 1991 and last won it in 2021.
It’ll be a relatively new squad going for the title; only two players from that 2021 starting XI are on this roster — goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Miles Robinson. However, neither player has contributed significantly on the field in this year’s tournament. So, a group of several Gold Cup newcomers look to earn their first confederation championship.
Now, the USA awaits the winner of the Mexico vs. Honduras match to find out its opposition in the final. That semifinal match kicks off Wednesday, July 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Mexico, the USMNT’s biggest rival, has faced the USA eight times in the Gold Cup — seven of those were in the final.
Meanwhile, if Honduras pulls off the upset like it did against Panama in the quarterfinal, it’ll be the first time the United States and Honduras have battled for the title since the first tournament in 1991.
Regardless of who’s on the other side, one thing’s for certain: the USA is in the final. The championship match kicks off in Houston at NRG Stadium on July 6 at 7 p.m. ET.