The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Costa Rica on Sunday night. The match concluded with a 2-2 draw after regulation time, leading to a tense shootout where US goalkeeper Matt Freese emerged as the hero, saving three penalties. Damion Downs ultimately sealed the win by converting the decisive penalty kick.
The quarterfinal clash, held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a rollercoaster affair. Costa Rica initially took the lead in the 12th minute when Francisco Calvo converted a penalty after Max Arfsten was whistled for a foul in the box. Freese guessed correctly, diving to his left and getting a hand on the ball, but Calvo's shot had enough power to push past Freese and into the back of the net. The US nearly equalized when Malik Tillman earned a penalty of their own, but his attempt struck the post. Diego Luna leveled the score in the 43rd minute with a shot that deflected off Costa Rican defender Alexis Gamboa.
The US took the lead early in the second half when Arfsten, atoning for his earlier error, scored his first international goal in the 47th minute after an assist from Tillman. Costa Rica responded in the 71st minute when Alonso MartÃnez scored from close range after Carlos Mora recovered his own rebound. Both teams had chances to win the game in regulation time, with MartÃnez hitting the post for Costa Rica and Tillman narrowly missing for the US.
With the score tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, the match went straight to a penalty shootout. Freese proved to be the difference, saving spot-kicks from Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo, and Andy Rojas. After Costa Rica's Keylor Navas saved a penalty from John Tolkin in the fifth round, Freese denied Rojas to set the stage for Downs. The 20-year-old Downs calmly converted his penalty, sending the US to the semi-finals.
Freese's performance was particularly noteworthy, earning him Man of the Match honors. "Penalties are my thing," Freese said after the win. He revealed that he had studied penalty kicks extensively, which helped him read the game and anticipate the Costa Rican players' shots. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino praised Freese's resilience, noting that he stuck with Freese despite a mistake in the previous match.
The USMNT will now face Guatemala in the semi-finals on Wednesday, July 2, at Energizer Park in St. Louis. Mexico will face Honduras in the other semi-final in Santa Clara, California. The winners will advance to the Gold Cup Final on July 6 in Houston, Texas. The USMNT has now reached the Gold Cup semi-finals in 17 of the 18 editions of the tournament.
