A dramatic penalty shootout, punctuated by Matt Freese's goalkeeping heroics and Damion Downs' decisive penalty kick, propelled the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) to a hard-fought victory over Costa Rica in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal. The match, held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 29, 2025, ended in a 2-2 draw after regulation time, leading to the tense shootout.
The USMNT had a shaky start, conceding a penalty in the 12th minute when Max Arfsten fouled Kenneth Vargas. Francisco Calvo converted the penalty, putting Costa Rica ahead. The Americans responded just before halftime, with Diego Luna scoring his first international goal in the 43rd minute, assisted by Arfsten.
Early in the second half, Arfsten redeemed himself for the earlier penalty, scoring his first international goal in the 47th minute to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead. However, Costa Rica equalized in the 71st minute when Alonso MartÃnez scored after Freese initially saved a shot from Carlos Mora. Despite chances for both sides to win it in regulation, including Tillman hitting the crossbar for the U.S. and Martinez hitting the post for Costa Rica, the game went to penalties.
In the penalty shootout, Freese proved to be the hero, saving three of Costa Rica's six attempts. After Freese's second consecutive stop, denying Andy Rojas, Damion Downs stepped up and calmly slotted his penalty into the left corner, securing the 4-3 shootout victory for the USMNT. Freese's performance was particularly noteworthy, as he had faced criticism after making a mistake in a previous Gold Cup game. His three saves in the shootout were crucial in sending the USMNT to the semifinals. Downs' decisive penalty was his first for the national team, adding to the drama of the moment.
The win sends the USMNT to the Gold Cup semifinals, where they will face Guatemala on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in St. Louis. Guatemala defeated Canada in their quarterfinal match also via penalty shootout. The winner of the USMNT-Guatemala match will advance to the final on July 6 in Houston to face either Mexico or Honduras.
Matt Freese's stellar performance in goal and Damion Downs' cool finish under pressure highlighted a USMNT victory built on resilience and determination.
