MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Damion Downs scored within the sixth spherical of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica after a 2-2 tie on Sunday night time.
The U.S. superior to a Wednesday matchup in St. Louis in opposition to Guatemala, which upset Canada on penalty kicks within the opener of the quarterfinal doubleheader.
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“They confirmed at present nice character,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino mentioned.
Matthew Freese (L.) celebrates after the USMNT’s win over Costa Rica on June 29, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES by way of Reuters Join
Freese batted away shootout makes an attempt by Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo and Andy Rojas.
“Penalties are my factor,” Freese mentioned. “On the airplane journey over right here to Minnesota I used to be finding out the penalties and I’ve been finding out all of them week.”
Mexico performs Honduras within the different semifinal on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. The championship is in Houston on July 6.
The U.S. has reached the semifinals in 17 of 18 Gold Cups, together with 13 straight since a penalty-kicks loss to Colombia in a 2000 quarterfinal.
Diego Luna and Max Arfsten scored in regulation for the No. 16 U.S., which confronted its highest-ranked opponent of the match in Costa Rica (54th) after breezing by means of the group stage with an 8-1 purpose differential.
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Alonso Martinez scored the tying purpose for the Ticos within the 71st minute with a left-footed shot after Carlos Mora break up Luca de La Torre and Arsten to take a shot on Freese and seize the rebound to arrange Martinez.
Diego Angel Luna (10) celebrates after scoring throughout the USMNT-Costa Rica match on June 29, 2025. AP
CONCACAF modified the principles for this version of the biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, eliminating additional time aside from the championship recreation.
John Tolkin had the primary probability to win the shootout for the U.S. Keylor Navas knocked down his strive within the fifth spherical.
Freese then denied Rojas with a diving hand, climbing to his ft whereas nodding his head and protruding his tongue towards his cheering teammates at midfield. That arrange the winner by the 20-year-old Downs.
Diego Angel Luna (10) celebrates after scoring throughout the USMNT-Costa Rica match on June 29, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES by way of Reuters Join
Lacking the match for the U.S. are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest, resulting from quite a lot of causes from accidents to relaxation to Membership World Cup commitments.
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The Ticos performed with out 4 key gamers. Ahead Manfred Ugalde, who had three targets within the match, and midfielder Carlos Mora had been suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Defender Ariel Lassiter (damaged left hand) and ahead Warren Madrigal (damaged left leg) had been sidelined by accidents.
Three of Costa Rica’s six targets throughout the group stage got here by penalty kick, and Calvo added one other one within the twelfth minute after a foul by Arsten. Calvo went low to zip the ball simply out of attain of a diving Freese.
Malik Tillman put a Thirty seventh-minute penalty kick off a put up and Navas knocked away Arfsten’s try off the rebound.
Luna scored his first worldwide purpose within the forty third by rocketing a shot off the chest of defender Alexis Gamboa. Tillman made amends for his miss early within the second half by poking a move forward for Arfsten, who surged in from a wing to ship the ball into the other nook for a 2-1 lead.