If the Concacaf Gold Cup was intended as a proving ground for a less experienced version of the U.S. men`s national team, Sunday`s quarterfinal clash against Costa Rica served as a particularly demanding test. It wasn`t just the inherent pressure of the first win-or-go-home fixture for this squad; a quick look at the 2-2 scoreline, decided by a 4-3 penalty shootout victory, clearly indicates the trials and tribulations faced.
In a match characterized by swings in momentum, the USMNT conceded first, with Francisco Calvo converting a 12th-minute penalty for Los Ticos. Despite missing a penalty of their own in the first half, the U.S. fought back to take a 2-1 lead by the 49th minute. Costa Rica managed to find a way back into the game before a dramatic penalty shootout where Keylor Navas made two saves for Los Ticos, but Matt Freese made three crucial stops for the USMNT. Amidst these twists and turns, several players rose to the occasion, finally seizing the chance presented by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Freese delivered the most memorable performance on Sunday in Minneapolis. He faced seven penalties in total, including Calvo`s in regular time, consistently diving the correct way. He saved nearly half of these spot-kicks and managed to get a touch on most of the others.
This was a defining moment for the 26-year-old, who perhaps unexpectedly found himself in a starting role at the Gold Cup. Pochettino seemed keen to evaluate various options this month, bringing first-choice goalkeeper Matt Turner but not featuring him in the competition so far. The position might have gone to the two goalkeepers initially expected to compete, the Columbus Crew`s Patrick Schulte and the Colorado Rapids` Zack Steffen, but both were sidelined by injuries before the tournament began. The opportunity therefore fell to New York City FC`s Freese, who, while perhaps not always highlighted in regular play, quickly stated in a post-match interview that “penalties are my thing.”
Freese`s performance significantly boosted his prospects in what could be a competitive race for goalkeeper spots at the World Cup, showcasing a genuinely valuable skill set that some others in the pool have yet to demonstrate. Freese is effectively a penalty specialist at this point – he has won six of the seven shootouts he`s participated in throughout his career. He could potentially be the `break-glass-in-case-of-emergency` option next year, much like the Netherlands` Tim Krul famously was during a shootout against Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup.
While Freese stood out, he wasn`t the only promising USMNT player to strengthen his case for next year`s tournament on Sunday. Luna was arguably the most likely candidate among the young players this summer, and despite a quiet start to the Gold Cup, he finally had his moment with the equalizer against Costa Rica. His goal was one of his three shots during the match, providing a constant attacking threat as the U.S. kept Costa Rica`s defense occupied for the initial 50 minutes. Luna perfectly suited the team`s energetic and intense approach during that period, having already impressed Pochettino months ago with his right mindset. The key question for the midfielder was whether he could complement that mentality with impactful plays on the pitch, and with a goal on Sunday, he is adding to an international record that now stands at one goal and four assists in 10 appearances.
Luna`s success heightens the competition for attacking midfield positions as the USMNT enters the final year before the World Cup, especially considering Malik Tillman`s strong form and Gio Reyna`s situation at Borussia Dortmund`s Club World Cup campaign.
A similar dynamic is emerging at left back, though it mirrors the competition for backup goalkeeper roles rather than the starting positions Luna, Tillman, and Reyna might be vying for. Max Arfsten had moments of inconsistency on Sunday but also produced several crucial plays, assisting Luna`s goal and scoring his own in the second half – a personal redemption after conceding a penalty in the 11th minute. The 24-year-old Arfsten was dynamic on the left wing during the USMNT`s energetic start, creating chances for teammates and completing 83.3% of his passes in the attacking third.
His inexperience was sometimes apparent, and it`s difficult to imagine him displacing Antonee Robinson, who has been consistently excellent for both Fulham and the USMNT in recent years. However, there`s a strong argument that Arfsten is a better alternative than Joe Scally, who has struggled to fill Robinson`s role on occasion. Arfsten`s ability to play on both wings is also a valuable asset.
USMNT`s Room for Improvement
Arfsten`s performance encapsulates the USMNT`s overall showing – they made progress on Sunday, but clear imperfections were still visible. The high tempo and energy of the first 50 minutes were definite positives, as were the 11 shots and two goals generated during that time. Their strategies for creating chances were effective, particularly with Arfsten commanding the left flank, yet there were many missed connections in the final third. Combined with Tillman missing a penalty in the first half, their expected goals (xG) of 1.47 during that period left much to be desired.
This also served as a stark reminder of one of the USMNT`s long-standing weaknesses – the lack of a consistently reliable goalscorer leading the line. In the absence of the injured Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, and the out-of-favor Josh Sargent, that responsibility has fallen to Patrick Agyemang. Like Luna, he had shown potential earlier in the year but has managed just one goal at the Gold Cup so far. On Sunday, he seemed out of sync with his teammates and hesitant on the ball, taking four shots but failing to put any on target.
A feeling of disconnect was still present, which is partly understandable but also somewhat concerning. These players are still relatively new to playing together, so building chemistry naturally takes time. However, after nearly a month working together, the first 50 minutes of the game demonstrated that their collective time was starting to pay dividends. After taking the lead, though, the group collectively eased off – they took seven more shots but again failed to put any on target, generating just 0.54 xG in the process. Much of this came after Alonso Martinez`s equalizer in the 71st minute; notably, there was a period from the 50th to the 65th minute where the USMNT didn`t register a single shot.
Heading into the semifinals, there`s still an incomplete picture of this version of the USMNT, which is perhaps expected given the lengthy list of high-profile players absent from the Gold Cup. It remains difficult to judge whether this group can ultimately win the tournament, although they will certainly be the heavy favorites in Wednesday`s semifinal against Guatemala, who reached the final four for the first time since 1996 after upsetting Canada. However, winning the trophy is almost a secondary objective this summer – Pochettino`s primary task was to identify talent that can integrate with the main squad later this year. He has indeed found such players, even if the trade-off is that he has also identified just as many problems that need addressing with only a year remaining until the World Cup.
Adrian Whitmore