USMNT 2–1 Guatemala: Player Ratings As Mauricio Pochettino Leads USMNT to Gold Cup Final

Diego Luna’s first-half brace lifted the Stars and Stripes past Guatemala.

The Stars and Stripes remain will play their first final under Mauricio Pochettino on Sunday. / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

The U.S. men’s national team secured a 2–1 victory over Guatemala at Energizer Park to punch their tickets to the Gold Cup final.

Just three days after the USMNT dispatched a resilient Costa Rica side in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, the Stars and Stripes were back in action against Guatemala. Mauricio Pochettino’s men got off to a dream start in the Gold Cup semifinals when Diego Luna found the back of the net inside of four minutes.

Luca de la Torre tried his luck at goal from the top of the box, forcing Kénderson Navarro to make a save. The goalkeeper sent the ball right to Luna, who calmly buried the USMNT’s opener. The Real Salt Lake forward bagged his second of the night just 11 minutes later with a brilliant piece of individual skill.

DIEGO LUNA ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 🔥

HE SCORES HIS SECOND OF THE NIGHT FOR THE @USMNT! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/yfTUn15R1T

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2025

Guatemala momentarily pulled one back in the 29th minute only to be denied by the offside flag. The visitors applied relentless pressure to close out the first half, prompting a few nervy moments from Matt Freese and the USMNT’s defense, but the Stars and Stripes held strong and went down the tunnel up 2–0.

Patrick Agyemang had two golden opportunities to add to the USMNT’s lead in the second half, but the striker was off the mark, lacking quality in the final third. Still, the hosts stayed in firm control of the match until they conceded in the 80th minute. Miscommunication from Pochettino’s backline left the door open for Olger Escobar to get Guatemala on the scoresheet.

The late goal was not enough to spoil the USMNT’s night in St. Louis, though. The U.S. closed out the game and advanced to the Gold Cup final, where they will face either Mexico or Honduras.

Check out player ratings from the match below.

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USMNT Player Ratings vs. Guatemala (4-2-3-1)

Diego Luna scored both of the USMNT's goals. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Ratings Provided by FotMob

Position / Player	Ratings (Out of 10)
GK: Matt Freese	7.9
RB: Alex Freeman	7.1
CB: Chris Richards	7.2
CB: Tim Ream	7.6
LB: Max Arfsten	7.1
DM: Tyler Adams	7.3
DM: Luca de la Torre	6.4
RW: Sebastian Berhalter	7
AM: Malik Tillman	8
LW: Diego Luna	9
ST: Patrick Agyemang	7.1
SUB: Brenden Aaronson (58' for De la Torre)	6.2
SUB: John Tolkin (77' for Luna)	6.4
SUB: Jack McGlynn (77' for Adams)	6.3
SUB: Walker Zimmerman (85' for Arfsten)	N/A
SUB: Damion Downs (85' for Agyemang)	N/A

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Guatemala Player Ratings vs. USMNT (4-4-2)

Olger Escobar pulled one back for Guatemala, but it was not enough to spark a comeback. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Ratings Provided by FotMob

Position / Player	Ratings (Out of 10)
GK: Kénderson Navarro	6.9
RB: Aaron Herrera	7
CB: José Manuel Pinto	6.4
CB: Nicolas Samayoa	6.4
LB: José Luis Morales	6.9
RM: Oscar Santis	6.7
CM: Stheven Robles	5.9
CM: Rudy Muñoz	5.5
RW: Pedro Altán	6.5
ST: Rubio Rubin	6.8
ST: José Rosales	6.5
SUB: Jonathan Franco (65' for Robles)	6.2
SUB: Óscar Castellanos (65' for Rosales)	5.9
SUB: Olger Escobar (65' for Muñoz)	7.4
SUB: Darwin Lom (70' for Rubin)	6
SUB: Arquímides Ordóñez (70' for Altán)	7.4

Player of the Match: Diego Luna (USMNT)

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