Diego Luna scored twice in the opening 15 minutes to power the United States past Guatemala 2-1 on Wednesday night in St. Louis, securing a spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
The 21-year-old Real Salt Lake midfielder continued his breakout year with goals in the 4th and 15th minutes, before Guatemala’s Olger Escobar pulled one back late in the 80th minute. Matt Freese made four key saves, including a diving stop in stoppage time, to preserve the win.
The U.S. will now face the winner of Mexico vs. Honduras in Sunday’s final in Houston.
Luna, who was left out of the Olympic squad last year, has since emerged as a top performer in 2025. With three goals and four assists, he leads the team in total goal contributions this year.
His first goal came on a rebound after Luca de la Torre’s shot was mishandled by Guatemalan keeper Kenderson Navarro. Luna calmly collected the ball and fired in with his left foot. Minutes later, he doubled the lead with a precise long-range strike off a Malik Tillman assist.
Guatemala responded by taking control of the match, outshooting the U.S. 12-2 in the final 20 minutes of the first half. They continued pressing after halftime, with Navarro making back-to-back saves to deny Patrick Agyemang.
Escobar finally broke through for Guatemala with a composed finish from the top of the box, narrowing the deficit with ten minutes remaining. The U.S. defense held firm in the closing minutes, with Freese’s last-second save ensuring the win.
The match marked the first-ever Gold Cup knockout meeting between the two nations and Guatemala’s first semifinal appearance since 1996.
