The United States advanced to the final of the Concacaf Gold Cup on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over Guatemala in St. Louis, thanks to a brilliant brace from young winger Diego Luna.
The Real Salt Lake star struck twice in the opening 15 minutes to give the USA an early lead they managed to protect despite a late surge from the Central American side. The Americans will now face the winner of the other semifinal between Mexico and Honduras in Sunday’s final in Houston.
Luna opened the scoring just four minutes into the match, reacting quickly after a shot from Luca de la Torre was parried into his path. He then added a spectacular second goal eleven minutes later, weaving through midfield before firing a long-range strike past goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro.
The 21-year-old’s creativity and composure on the ball provided a crucial spark for an American side looking to bounce back after a run of four consecutive defeats leading into the tournament.
Guatemala responded with growing pressure in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 80th minute through teenager Olger Escobar, who calmly converted after a strong run by Arquimides Ordonez.
The final moments saw a flurry of chances for Guatemala, but U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese came up with a key save in stoppage time to deny Jose Morales and preserve the win. Luna’s performance has drawn praise and may strengthen his case for a place in the national squad for the 2026 World Cup, as teammate Sebastian Berhalter hailed him as “one of the best players in MLS.”
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