The U.S. Men’s National Team advanced past Costa Rica 4-3 on penalty kicks in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal in a comeback victory Sunday.
Next, the USMNT will face Guatemala in the semifinal at Energizer Park in St. Louis (7 p.m. ET on FS1).
Guatemala entered the tournament as the third-lowest ranked FIFA team. With one upset at a time, the squad now finds itself in the semifinal for the first time since 1996. Guatemala stunned Canada in penalty kicks on Sunday after sneaking its way out of Group C with wins over Jamaica and Guadeloupe.
The Americans beat Costa Rica in a dramatic penalty shootout, much like Guatemala did in its knockout match at U.S. Bank Stadium. U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese made three saves in the shootout to send the USA through to the next round, and forward Damion Downs netted the final kick to secure the victory.
Before the quarterfinal, the United States came out of Group D unscathed, beating Trinadad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti. The Stars and Stripes finished the group stage with nine points while only conceding one goal.
The USA and Guatemala have met 27 times in history; the USMNT holds a winning record of 16-5-6. The two countries last met in the Gold Cup more than two decades ago in the 2007 group stage. The United States won that match 1-0.
It’s been almost 10 years since the USMNT competed against Guatemala in a set of World Cup Qualifiers in 2016. None of the players on the current roster played in those matchups.
The USMNT has advanced to the semifinals in 17 of 18 total Gold Cups and will have a chance to reach its 11th title match.
