Desperate to show progress under Mauricio Pochettino, the United States is looking to secure a return to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Wednesday against an inspired Guatemala side that isn’t content with just a historic run. The match at Energizer Park Stadium in St. Louis (Missouri), kicking off at 23:00 GMT, marks Guatemala’s first Gold Cup semifinal appearance in 29 years.
Also on Wednesday, Mexico will face Honduras in Santa Clara (California) to claim the other spot in the final. El Tri, coached by Javier Aguirre and Rafael Márquez, remains the tournament favorite ahead of the host USA, who once again compete without many of their star players.
In his final tournament before the U.S. hosts the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino is without key starters—some due to rest (like Christian Pulisic), others like Weston McKennie and Tim Weah due to commitments with Juventus at the Club World Cup.
Despite fielding a backup squad, Team USA is under pressure to improve on their 2023 performance, where they fell in the semifinals to Panama. Their road to the 2025 semis has already been turbulent.
On Sunday, in the quarterfinals, the hosts needed a heroic performance from goalkeeper Matt Freese to beat Costa Rica in a penalty shootout. Freese’s three saves rescued Pochettino from another setback during his short tenure as U.S. head coach, following a last-place finish in March’s Nations League final four.
The Argentine manager emphasized focus going into the semifinal: “Guatemala is a very good team. They deserve to be here. They’re well-organized with a great coach and strong players,” he said. “It’s a good challenge for us.” His squad, full of young talents like Diego Luna and Malik Tillman, is competing for a spot in the 2026 World Cup roster.
We’re not satisfied
Guatemala, on the other hand, is proud to be the tournament’s dark horse. The chapines haven’t reached this stage of the Gold Cup since 1996, and even then, they advanced directly from the group stage. The team has been steadily improving under Mexican coach Luis Fernando Tena, who led Mexico to Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games.
Riding that momentum, Guatemala shocked Canada on Sunday by eliminating them in a dramatic penalty shootout. Canada, a 2022 World Cup participant, took the lead in the first half, but Guatemala capitalized on Jacob Shaffelburg’s red card before halftime and equalized through Rubio Rubín.
“Obviously, the U.S. is the favorite, but so was Canada—and we know games have to be played,” said Tena. “We’re not satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far. The team is doing great individually and collectively. Of course, we want to reach the final.”
Rubín, Guatemala’s all-time leading scorer in the Gold Cup, will once again lead the attack. Goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro, who saved a penalty against Canada, will continue in place of the injured Nicholas Hagen.
Probable Lineups:
USA: Matt Freese – Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Maximilian Arfsten – Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Sebastian Berhalter, Diego Luna – Malik Tillman, Patrick Agyemang.
Coach: Mauricio Pochettino
Guatemala: Kenderson Navarro – Aarón Herrera, José Pinto, Nicolás Samayoa, José Morales – Stheven Robles, José Rosales, Olger Escobar, Óscar Santis – Rudy Muñoz, Rubio Rubín.
Coach: Luis Fernando Tena
