The United States are just one victory away from reaching their first Gold Cup final since advancing past Costa Rica with ease via penalty shootout. They take on Guatemala next, who needed penalties themselves after upsetting Canada to advance.
Matt Freese eliminated any doubt by saving three shots during the penalty shootout and is poised to start however many games Mauricio Pochettino wants him to this summer.
His heroics have made him a key figure heading into the Usmnt Vs Guatemala National Football Team Lineups, where the United States will rely on his confidence and shot-stopping ability as they look to secure a place in the Gold Cup final.
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Matt Freese |
| RB | Alex Freeman |
| CB | Chris Richards |
| CB | Tim Ream |
| LB | Max Arfsten |
| CM | Tyler Adams (C) |
| CM | Luca de la Torre |
| CM | Sebastian Berhalter |
| AM | Malik Tillman |
| FW | Diego Luna |
| ST | Patrick Agyemang |
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Kenderson Navarro |
| RB | Aaron Herrera |
| CB | José Carlos Pinto (C) |
| CB | Nicolás Samayoa |
| LB | José Morales |
| RM | Óscar Santis |
| CM | Stheven Robles |
| CM | José Rosales |
| LM | Rudy Muñoz |
| FW | Rubio Rubin |
| FW | Pedro Altán |
| Date | Competition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Jul 2025 | CONCACAF Gold Cup SF | St. Louis, USA | USA 2–1 Guatemala |
| 24 Mar 2024 | International Friendly | USA | USA 4–0 Guatemala |
| 02 Jul 2023 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | St. Louis, USA | USA 6–0 Guatemala |
| 03 Jul 2021 | International Friendly | Orlando, USA | USA 1–0 Guatemala |
| 12 Jul 2015 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Kansas City, USA | USA 1–0 Guatemala |
| 05 Jul 2013 | International Friendly | San Diego, USA | USA 6–0 Guatemala |
| 17 Oct 2012 | FIFA World Cup Qualifier | Kansas City, USA | USA 3–1 Guatemala |
| 12 Jun 2012 | FIFA World Cup Qualifier | Guatemala City | Guatemala 1–0 USA |
| 20 Oct 2010 | International Friendly | Tennessee, USA | USA 1–0 Guatemala |
| 04 Jul 2009 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Seattle, USA | USA 1–0 Guatemala |
USMNT vs GUATEMALANA
On Wednesday, July 2, the United States Men’s National Team will face Guatemala in a Gold Cup semifinal matchup that requires penalties to decide their result – USMNT defeated Costa Rica 4-3 while Guatemala shocked Canada 2-1 through regular time play.
The USMNT will aim to reach the final for the first time since 2021. Under Mauricio Pochettino’s tutelage, his side defeated Costa Rica without experiencing heartbreak, and should approach their semifinal matchup against Guatemala with optimism that this summer they may just take home another championship trophy.
Matt Freese shut up critics with an impressive performance in the shootout and should start for the rest of the tournament alongside goalkeeper David de Gea and defenders Malik Tillman and Miles Robinson.
Guatemala has struggled to score goals throughout this tournament. Erick Ruiz of CSKA Moscow has been one of the team’s bright spots, scoring twice.
Real Salt Lake’s Brian White and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Patrick Agyemang will also play. The match will air live on NBCSN at 7 pm from Energizer Park in St Louis Missouri; tickets may be purchased online via Ticketmaster or SeatGeek; prices depend on seat location and demand.
USMNT Lineups
The United States men’s national soccer team, or USMNT, represents its nation in international men’s soccer tournaments such as FIFA World CupTM and CONCACAF Gold CupTM.
It is overseen by United Soccer Federation. It competes annually at FIFA World CupTM tournaments held across five continents as well as major regional and continental competitions like CONCACAF Gold CupTM tournaments held across North and South America and Africa.
On Thursday night at Energizer Park in St. Louis, the USA will take on Guatemala in a Gold Cup semifinal clash. Both teams advanced after winning penalty shootouts in their quarterfinal matches: USMNT defeated Costa Rica 4-3 while Guatemala delivered one of the greatest upsets ever seen in modern soccer by defeating Canada 6-5.
Mauricio Pochettino will likely make multiple adjustments to his USMNT lineup for their match against Guatemala national football team, either due to injury or simply tactically. For instance, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson could be benched as to avoid risking more yellow cards which would force them out of next week’s clash against Germany.
Pochettino will likely start New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese in goal. Freese was impressive during their penalty shootout victory against Costa Rica, giving him plenty of confidence going into this one.
Other players to keep an eye out for this summer include midfielder Tyler Adams, defender Michael Bradley and forwards Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic – each has been outstanding for the USMNT this summer and will strive to continue their impressive play.
Though the USMNT are heavy favorites to win this matchup, they will face a rigorous challenge in doing so. Their attacks have struggled of late, meaning scoring goals will be essential if they want to advance to the final of the Gold Cup.
With five goals scored per world ranking spot as USMNT goalkeeper Clint Dempsey stands in fifth position for scoring at least once during a match will increase significantly the likelihood of victory in any given semifinal matchup.
GUATEMALANA Lineups
Guatemala entered the Gold Cup as one of the lowest-ranked teams, but they proved themselves worthy by knocking Canada out via penalty shootout to reach the semifinals. Now, Guatemala hopes to continue their unlikely journey against USMNT.
Pochettino showed his trust in Matt Freese after an impressive shootout performance and named an unchanged starting XI for Saturday’s match with Juventus. Max Arfsten will start at center back ahead of John Tolkin while Jordan O’Hara and Erik Palmer-Brown remain on the bench; attack-wise Patrick Agyemang and Damion Downs start up front while Columbus Crew’s Brian White will remain on the bench.
In their second game, the USA will face Guatemala – an opponent they have met 27 times previously with 16 victories for the USMNT and five draws between them. Their initial meeting during this year’s Gold Cup ended 0-0 after regular time was played out at Estadio Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City.
United States and Guatemala remain undefeated in this tournament and both aim to reach Sunday’s championship match-up at NRG Stadium in Houston. Whoever emerges victorious will earn the right to face either Mexico or Honduras for glory on Sunday.
Freese makes an outstanding save to deny Morales near post! The USMNT are now showing signs of being dangerous again.
GUATEMALANA vs USMNT
Guatemala national football team serves as an official representation for Guatemala in association football and is overseen by the Guatemalan Football Federation (FEN).
Guatemala is one of the oldest soccer nations in Central America and boasts an extensive World Cup history. FIFA membership was in effect until 1974 when CONCACAF membership took over; Guatemala also competed at Olympic events as a member and currently features in their Nations League competitions.
Guatemala finished second in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying final round in 2023, collecting nine points with just one defeat against Jamaica (3-0). Guatemala will aim to build on that performance when facing El Salvador for their last qualifying game of this tournament.
Guatemala was trailing two goals during their last match against Jamaica before Dwight Pezzarossi scored late to salvage a point for their team, though due to goal difference they still were eliminated from World Cup qualification. Head Coach Benjamin Monterroso was quickly removed as head coach in favour of Ricardo Jerez who focused on preparing them for UNCAF Nations Cup qualification.
Estadio Mateo Flores is the main stadium of the Guatemalan Football Federation, housing up to 25,000 spectators for matches featuring national football teams or other sporting events. Constructed in 1940 and renovated numerous times since, this facility serves as host venue for concerts as well as being used annually during Feria Internacional del Arte (annual international arts fair).
Fans of the USMNT should expect an exciting matchup when these sides meet. While on paper the United Soccer Men National Team have more talented players, Guatemala presents formidable challenge that won’t go easily away.
The United Soccer Men’s National Team stands a strong chance of reaching the Gold Cup final if they win this match and continue their impressive run. Usmnt Vs Guatemala National Football Team Lineups have attracted significant attention as fans eagerly await the confirmed starting XIs for this crucial semifinal clash.
Mauricio Pochettino’s squad avoided heartbreak by defeating Costa Rica in a dramatic penalty shootout, while Guatemala earned their place after upsetting Canada. With momentum on their side and a talented squad, the USMNT will be confident of overcoming Guatemala and booking a place in the Gold Cup final.
Also Read : Usmnt Vs Costa Rica National Football Team Lineups
