The United States men's national team are through to the Gold Cup semifinals after beating Costa Rica in a dramatic penalty shootout on Sunday. The U.S. and Los Ticos tied 2-2 in regulation, and it was a 4-3 win in the shootout as goalkeeper Matt Freese may have just put himself in pole position to be the team's starting goalkeeper at the World Cup next year with numerous crucial saves.
The U.S. conceded early before taking a 2-1 lead via goals from Diego Luna and Max Arfsten, only to concede in the 71st minute to force penalty kicks. Malik Tillman missed a penalty in regulation but converted his spot kick in the shootout.
Freese made three saves in the shootout while Tyler Adams, Tillman, Alex Freeman and Damion Downs converted there, the last of which sent the team to the semis.
The winners will now face Guatemala in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Downs, another second half substitute, is up to score what could be the winning spotkick in this shootout and he manages just that! The USMNT will face Guatemala in the semifinals on Wednesday.
It's Rojas who's up for Costa Rica now and Freese makes his THIRD save of the shootout! Again, the USMNT can advance if they convert the next one.
Tolkin -- a second half substitute -- is up to score a quarterfinal-winning penalty and Navas makes the stop! To sudden death we go...
Calvo -- who converted the penalty in the first half to give Costa Rica the lead -- is up for his side and this time, he cannot convert! Freese doesn't move and makes the save on Calvo's down-the-middle penalty, meaning the USMNT can win if they convert the next one.
Now it's Freeman who's up for the USMNT and the 20-year-old converts to keep things on level terms. One round to go until sudden death...
Brenes is next for Costa Rica and he slots the ball in the back of the net, though again, Freese reads it correctly and almost musters a save.
Berhalter steps up for the USMNT and with his family in the stands, he skies it. The two teams are now on level terms in this shootout with two rounds to go before sudden death.
Now it's van der Putten for Costa Rica, who converts but Freese does get a touch on the ball. Costa Rica are level but the USMNT can keep their lead with the next spotkick.
Tillman is up next for the USMNT, taking his second penalty of the day after missing one in the first half, and makes no mistake this time! The U.S. have the advantage now in this shootout.
Vargas is next for Costa Rica and Freese makes the stop! The USMNT have an early edge in this shootout.
Adams is up first for the USMNT and scores the very first penalty of his career, though Navas got a touch.
Martinez steps up first to face his NYCFC teammate Freese and scores after going straight down the middle.
The USMNT had their chances towards the end of the 90 minutes but few were convincing, paying the price for not building upon the 2-1 lead they earned at the start of the second half. This quarterfinal will now be decided by penalties, which is essentially a coin toss but history does not favor Costa Rica, who have never won a shootout at the Gold Cup. USMNT 'keeper Matt Freese, meanwhile, has won five of the six shootouts he's faced in his career.
90'+1 Tolkin has the ball on the left flank and makes a cross, the ball eventually falling to Tillman, who carves his way through the box before taking a shot that looks promising but there's a deflection and the ball goes out for a corner.
90' White comes on for Agyemang with just stoppage time left to play before a penalty shootout.
85' Costa Rica make their way towards goal, Freeman ceding space in the box for Martinez to take a dangerous chance. Freese stands there, doesn't catch the ball at all, instead letting it ricochet off the post and back into play, with Costa Rica later earning a corner that the USMNT can send out of play.
85' There's a bit of chaos in the closing moments of this match, with the USMNT either not connecting as they try to go forward or trying to maintain calm in the back. Downs manages to get a shot, though it is not a terribly effective one. Pochettino, meanwhile, goes to the bench again -- Luna and Arfsten come off for McGlynn and Tolkin.
79' With 10 minutes to find a game-winner and the possibility of a penalty shootout looming, Downs comes on for de la Torre. It's the U.S.' first sub of the night and Downs' first minutes since a cameo against Saudi Arabia.
77' The USMNT make their first forward run since conceding their second goal and in the end, it's Tillman with a shot from distance that's promising and though he misses, the ball isn't terribly far from goal.
72' Costa Rica make a run into the box and Mora beats Arfsten and de la Torre before taking a shot at goal and though Freese makes the save, the ball lands back at Mora's feet and he plays a quick pass to Martinez, who is open in front of goal and doesn't miss from close range. Alll of a sudden, the USMNT's slowed-down tempo and missed chances feel costly.
66' Tillman connects with Luna, who does well to spot Agyemang in the box. The forward takes too much time with his chance and does not get the best shot off, though he earns a corner after a deflection. THe USMNT do well here and Tillman gets a shot on goal, but Costa Rica are eventually able to steer the ball out of danger.
Agyemang and Tillman's shots are the USMNT's first since Richards' in the 49th minute, a sign of a calm that has now settled into the team after finally taking the lead. The intensity that was on display for the first 50 minutes has evaporated a bit, even if the U.S. are still in very much in control of the game. That uptick in tempo might be on its way back, though, as the U.S. maintain possession in and around the penalty area.
59' Costa Rica goes to the bench, bringing on Rojas and Brenes for Vargas and Aguilera.
51' The USMNT earn a set piece and Berhalter sets it up for Richards to get a head on the ball, just like how they combined for the U.S.' goal in a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Navas comes up with a stellar save, though, and Tillman is unable to get a good shot off when the ball returns to play.
48' The USMNT finally have the lead, courtesy of Arfsten. The USMNT keep the intensity they exhibited during the first half and in the end, it's Tillman who connects with Arfsten, who scores his first international goal. It helps chart the redemption arc for Arfsten, who has been busy launching attacks from the left wing but conceded a penalty in the 12th minute, while Tillman adds to his strong showing at the Gold Cup that now has him at three goals and one assist in four games.
No changes at halftime for either side as both the USMNT and Costa Rica target a semifinal meeting against Guatemala in three days' time.
An entertaining first half comes to a close, one with plenty of twists and turns for the USMNT. Even with Costa Rica's 12th minute penalty, they were the more dominant side for the first half and to show for it, they have nine shots to Costa Rica's three. The intensity and competitive drive were there, as was the shot creation -- what was missing was efficiency in the final third and perhaps a little bit of patience. Tillman's 38th minute missed penalty was an equally big mistake as Arfsten's foul that allowed Costa Rica to earn a spotkick, while the fact that they put just two shots on target is a sign that the U.S. were unable to really capitalize on their moments going forward.
Luna, though, got on the scoresheet and earns his moment in the spotlight, providing the USMNT with the foundation for what they will hope is a more clinical second half and a spot in the semifinals.
44' The USMNT finally have their equalizer! They survive Costa Rica's counterattack and quickly go to the other end, with Arfsten once again going down the left flank and sending the ball to a teammate, this time Luna. The 21-year-old shoots from the edge of the penalty area and it takes a big deflection, but it lands where they'd like it to -- in the back of the net. It's a big moment for Luna, who is one of the MLS upstarts who is trying to make a big impression with Pochettino and has endeared himself to the head coach so far.
41' The USMNT have now earned their fourth corner since Tillman missed the penalty, all resulting in a tangle in the box, a USMNT player getting ahold of the ball but a convincing shot easier said than done. The series ends with Agyemang taking a crack at goal but the ball finally goes out for a goalkick as the team's search for the equalizer continues.
38' Tillman steps up for his first penalty kick in his professional career and he hits the left post with his right foot, which means the ball goes back into play. It's Arfsten who gets ahold of the ball and takes a nice shot, but he forces a save out of Navas and the ball goes out for a corner. The two teams also break out into a fight along the way, in true Concacaf form.
34' Tillman is taken down in the box and the referee heads to the monitor to check if Vargas goes studs up on the USMNT player, which could result in a red card and a penalty. In the end, the referee points to the spot but decides against a red for Vargas. He gets a yellow instead and now it's a question of who takes the spotkick for the USMNT -- Luna was holding the ball and then Tillman but it's unclear who will step up to take it.
