St. Louis – Diego Luna made a strong impact by scoring twice within his first 15 minutes on the field, helping the US secure a 2-1 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday night. This win marked the US’s return to the Conca Caff Gold Cup final, a feat they hadn’t achieved since 2021.
Luna opened the scoring with a left-footed shot just four minutes into the match. He then added a second goal, netting again with a strike in the 15th minute.
Guatemala’s Olger Escobar, an 18-year-old born in Lynn, Massachusetts, found the net in the 80th minute, slipping a shot past goalkeeper Matt Freeze to score his second goal of the tournament. Freeze had earlier faced a hard shot from Jose Morales, which led to a tense moment during stoppage time.
Now, the US is set to compete against either Mexico or Honduras for the championship title in Houston this Sunday. This match will be significant, representing the last competitive game for the Americans before the World Cup opener in June of the following year. Mexico, known as El Tri, has won the Gold Cup nine times, with seven victories in the US and one in Canada.
The US team, currently ranked 16th, will make its 13th appearance in a Gold Cup final, yet they’ve faced defeat in all five of those finals against Mexico.
Guatemala, ranked 106, has never made it to the Gold Cup final. They indeed outperformed the US in the final 30 minutes of the first half, managing a 13-1 advantage in shots during that timeframe.
Luna’s initial goal stemmed from a cross by Alex Freeman to Malik Tillman. After a touch from Tillman, Luca de la Torre’s shot was deflected by goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro, giving Luna the opportunity to switch the ball from his right to left foot and score.
Just eleven minutes later, Luna showcased his skill as he received a pass from Tillman about 40 yards out. He dribbled in, performing a stepover to get past defender Jose Carlos Pinto, ultimately placing a carefully aimed shot inside the near post from the edge of the penalty area.
Notably, Guatemala’s lineup featured a few former US players. 29-year-old forward Rubio Rubin played for the US between 2014 and 2018 before switching allegiance in 2022, while 28-year-old defender Aaron Herrera had one appearance in 2021 before joining Guatemala in 2023.
Rubin nearly connected on a goal in the 29th minute, but it was ruled offside. Later, Freeze made a crucial save against Rubin in the 34th minute.
