Diego Luna Steals the Spotlight as USMNT Dominates Guatemala in Gold Cup Triumph
Diego Luna's two first-half goals against Guatemala propelled the U.S. men's national team into the Gold Cup final.
The USMNT began aggressively against Guatemala in the Gold Cup semifinals, establishing a 2–0 advantage within just 15 minutes. Luna converted a close-range rebound merely four minutes into the match and then added to his tally with an outstanding individual effort, outmaneuvering a defender with a skillful stepover before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.
The Stars and Stripes maintained their two-goal cushion until the 80th minute when Olger Escobar scored for Guatemala. What had been a dominant display suddenly became a tense finale for the USMNT, who found themselves under pressure as the visitors sought to complete their fightback.
Mauricio Pochettino's squad remained resilient, however, and prevented Guatemala from finding an equalizer in the closing stages. While it wasn't a flawless team display from the U.S., it proved sufficient to secure the Stars and Stripes' passage to the Gold Cup final.
Here are three key observations from the USMNT's 2–1 triumph below.
Diego Luna Strengthens His Claim for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Twelve months ago, Luna was hardly considered for the USMNT. The Real Salt Lake attacker possessed only two senior international appearances and was omitted from the Stars and Stripes' Copa América 2024 squad. Luna was similarly excluded from the USMNT's U-21 Olympic team.
Moving forward to this summer, Luna has emerged as an essential component of Pochettino's lineup. The 21-year-old has featured in every Gold Cup match and has contributed three goals and two assists. Indeed, merely three days after netting his maiden international goal, Luna scored twice within 15 minutes against Guatemala, effectively securing the Stars and Stripes' spot in the Gold Cup final.
Beyond his scoring prowess and creativity in attacking areas, the winger demonstrates determination and passion, qualities the USMNT has lacked among the current "golden" generation of players. In only 12 senior appearances for the Stars and Stripes, Luna has already gained supporter admiration and is developing into a "cult hero," Tim Howard informed Sports Illustrated.
Luna's remarkable displays this summer provide Pochettino with a fresh option to evaluate for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While many of the USMNT's star players are anticipated to return for the tournament, including regular left winger Tim Weah, Luna merits the opportunity to represent his nation at football's premier competition.
Patrick Agyemang Maintains Erratic Form in Attack
Patrick Agyemang's Gold Cup performances deserve both commendation and concern. The forward scored against Trinidad and Tobago and also netted a crucial late winner for the USMNT against Haiti. He achieved the distinction of being the quickest player to reach five goals for the Stars and Stripes since Jozy Altidore.
Nevertheless, there are multiple troubling elements in his play, all evident against Guatemala. Agyemang generated no scoring opportunities, managed only 28 ball touches throughout the match and registered merely three attempts on goal.
The Charlotte striker demonstrated poor execution in the attacking third, particularly when he sent a right-footed effort wide after breaking clear on goal in the 20th minute. Agyemang, who was clearly in an offside position during the buildup, enjoyed plenty of time and space with the ball yet still couldn't direct his shot on target. While that goal wouldn't have stood, the No. 9 had a comparable onside opportunity in the second half, but he wasted the one-on-one chance by shooting directly at the keeper.
Agyemang also squandered a perfect opportunity to assist Luna's potential hat trick near the end of the first half. The 24-year-old was advancing quickly in transition with Luna making an incisive run inside, but he delivered a wayward pass behind the winger, disrupting the counter-attack.
The Stars and Stripes will require an improved showing from their striker on Sunday to capture the Gold Cup.
The USMNT Allows Another Late Goal
The Stars and Stripes were comfortably ahead until they allowed a goal in the 80th minute. Instantly, Guatemala were back in contention and just one goal from leveling and potentially threatening the USMNT's Gold Cup final berth.
Poor coordination between Chris Richards and Tim Ream provided Escobar with sufficient time and space to fire a right-footed shot past Freese and into the net. This incident was among several defensive errors from the USMNT. Alex Freeman was exposed on numerous occasions, Richards failed to provide quality distribution from the back, and Ream completed zero tackles during the match.
Pochettino will be frustrated with his team for surrendering a clean sheet. The goal also raised concerns about the USMNT's ability to maintain composure in the final stages of matches; the Stars and Stripes relinquished their advantage against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, allowing a 71st-minute equalizer that forced a penalty shootout.
Against stronger opponents, the USMNT will face consequences for their inability to secure victories. While Guatemala couldn't find a second goal in the final 10 minutes, the match should never have concluded so closely contested.