In an emotionally charged match, Luna silenced the crowd with two goals in the first 15 minutes, putting U.S. in final
ST. LOUIS – Less than a year into his U.S. men's national team tenure, coach Mauricio Pochettino is encountering some things for the first time. Wednesday night was the latest example. When he and the U.S. walked out for their Gold Cup semifinal, they weren't greeted by red, white and blue – they were overwhelmed by blue and white, horns and chants of "Si Se Puede" ringing out throughout Energizer Park.
These weren't the colors of Pochettino's native Argentina, but rather of Guatemala, the Central American nation that took over this city. Still, despite the cheers and the chanting and the excitement, there's only one of the two teams bound for a Gold Cup final. And it's not Guatemala.
The U.S. found their win, riding two first-half Diego Luna goals to defeat Guatemala, 2-1, and advance to Sunday's deciding game in Houston, where they will face Mexico for the eighth time in a Gold Cup final.
It was an emotionally charged match from the first whistle, although Luna did seemingly silence the crowd with two goals in the first 15 minutes. Guatemala, though, wouldn't give up and, with the backing of their fans, they had no reason to.
"This was good for our players because when you talk about the future, about seeing the team and how to fight, how to come here, how their fans behave, that is an important thing we have to learn in this country," Pochettino said. "I am not telling anyone to do this or do that. No, we talk about culture. I come from Argentina. In Argentina, it's not the same. We don't lose, because the consequences were massive."
The U.S. didn't lose. They kept their tournament going, earning a fifth straight win after losing four in a row entering the Gold Cup. The final will also present a hostile atmosphere, one that will be even louder and fiercer than Wednesday night.
Pochettino and his team believe they're ready for it, though. Having cleared their latest hurdle, the USMNT have a chance both to make a statement and to lift a trophy.
"Winning helps," said Tim Ream. "I also think guys like Diego Luna help, guys like Malik Tillman. You're seeing these guys get more and more experience and understanding of how to win games. None of this is going to happen unless we win and continue to win. And, for us, what's the hallmark of a U.S. team? Fighting and togetherness. That's what we're finding and doing in this tournament."
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Energizer Park.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Diego Luna
Throughout his young UMSNT career, Luna had influenced games, but he had yet to truly take one over. There were big plays here, an assist there, his goal against Costa Rica – all moments in which he'd make a mark. But this was more. This was domination.
It took just four minutes for Luna to find the back of the net, easing any nerves that anyone in the U.S. may have had. It was a finish defined by Luna's biggest asset: his hustle. Once Kenderson Navarro spilled Luca de la Torre's shot, there was no doubt who'd be the first one to it.
His second, though? A thing of beauty. After dribbling right on past a defender, Luna rocketed a shot into the back of the net. His shot wasn't curled or placed; it was thumped via sheer force of will. His celebration was as emphatic as his finish. Rightfully so.
"It’s an honor, I’m extremely grateful," he told Fox Sports of sporting the U.S. crest. "Every single one of these players think about it the same way I do. This is the No. 1 dream we’ve had as a kid and we’re going to fight for this to have as many chances to wear it as we can."
Time and time again, Luna continues to prove he's the man for the big moments. And with bigger opportunities ahead, there's no doubt about whether Luna should be involved.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Tim Ream
Everyone has an off game now and then, including 38-year-old veterans.
Ream, to be fair, didn't even have an off game, but rather an off half. For the first time in recent memory, Ream looked a step off in the first half this semifinal, and he was beaten several times by Guatemala's attackers. Rubio Rubin, who once played for the USMNT, got him once, forcing a tough save out of Matt Freese.
And there was a shaky moment a few minutes later that again led to a Guatemala chance. In the second half, though, Ream cleaned it up. Still, if Guatemala had a bit more quality, the U.S may have been punished. Ream knows that as well as anyone. He's been doing this for a long time and, if all goes well, he tends to do this a little bit longer. He certainly has the quality and smarts.
"I love watching these guys grow up right before my eyes, starting to understand and create connections," Ream said. "It's those two things that are worth keeping at it: these atmospheres and helping these guys become better players and better people. That's what putting on this jersey is all about and the pride that I have for it will never change. It won't change until I'm done, completely done. I'm so happy with this group and happy that I can still help."
Ream can still help. He's been proving it for years and has continued proving it all summer long. That doesn't mean he's immune from an off night, and this was a reminder of that.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Guatemala fans
All tournament long, the Gold Cup has been criticized for a lack of atmosphere. There are reasons for that: ticket prices, the ongoing Club World Cup, the upcoming World Cup.
But make no mistake – the atmosphere on Wednesday night was electric. The traveling Guatemala fans ensured that was the case.
The nation's supporters were loud and proud in Minneapolis for their win over Canada in the quarterfinals, seemingly willing their team to victory in the upset of the tournament. On Wednesday night, they were even louder. The crowd in St. Louis was largely pro-Guatemala and, even hours before the opening kick, they made themselves heard.
It didn't result in victory this time, but credit to Guatemala's fans for their energy. This game and this tournament were made better by it.
"It was an unbelievable energy, and that is football," Pochettino said after the game. "That is football! When we see the connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we want to see in the World Cup. We can talk about soccer, many things, different sports. But we cannot compere football to another sport.
"Do you think today was just a sport? Just a team playing? No, you play for something more. You play to be happy, be sad. I saw players from Guatemala crying. That is the way that we need to feel, and our fans need to feel the same. It's good for our players, because when we talk about culture, that is culture. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country."
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Getty ImagesLOSER: U.S. control
In a perfect world, the U.S. would have been able to see out the game easily. They would have found a third, maybe a fourth goal and put this game to bed. Even if they couldn't find it, they would want to keep some semblance of control, allowing them to play through the match on their terms.
That didn't happen. The moment Guatemala scored, and even at times before it, the U.S. lost control of the game. Guatemala couldn't quite seize it, but again, the U.S. didn't make this easy for themselves.
"It's a learning experience," Ream said. "Will it all happen as quickly in the next game as it did today after the second goal? Probably not. I think the guys understand it better. They can say, 'OK, I do actually have more time than I realize.' It's just talking about experience and it comes with playing in these environments and in these games."
Some of it was, as Ream said, inexperience. Some of it was personnel. Tyler Adams was taken off in the second half as a precaution as he dealt with hamstring tightness, leaving the U.S. without its most veteran presence in midfield. When John Tolkin went into the game, the U.S. was playing with two left-backs, which led to some moments of chaos before Walker Zimmerman replaced Max Arfsten to settle things down.
"In that moment, the stress and the noise make it a difficult moment," Pochettino said. "What you need to understand is how difficult it is to come off the bench in that moment. It's not easy. The rhythm of the game was really fast and it was difficult to communicate. It's not easy."
As Ream said, the U.S. need to slow things down. They need to breathe, take back control and see things out. Their inabilty to do that made this game more stressful than it should have been – he U.S. just needed to keep things tighter.