In a tense and dramatic quarterfinal showdown at AT&T Stadium, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) advanced to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals with a 4-3 win on penalties over Costa Rica after a 2-2 draw in regulation. Damion Downs, a 20-year-old striker making his tournament debut, delivered the decisive blow in the sixth round of the shootout following three pivotal saves by goalkeeper Matt Freese.
With the victory, the U.S. booked a semifinal clash on Wednesday in St. Louis against Guatemala, who earlier stunned Canada on penalties in the first game of the doubleheader. Mexico and Honduras will meet in the other semifinal in Santa Clara, California. The championship match is scheduled for July 6 in Houston.
The quarterfinal marked a significant step up in competition for the U.S., who had coasted through the group stage with an 8-1 goal differential. Facing 54th-ranked Costa Rica, the Americans fell behind early but showed resilience to fight back.
Costa Rica opened the scoring in the 12th minute when veteran center back Francisco Calvo calmly slotted home a penalty kick after Max Arfsten was whistled for a foul in the box. Freese guessed correctly but couldn’t reach the low, driven shot.
Malik Tillman, who had scored three goals during group play, had a golden opportunity to level the score with a penalty in the 37th minute but smashed his shot off the post. Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas then thwarted Arfsten’s rebound effort.
The U.S. equalized just before halftime when Diego Luna rifled a shot off Costa Rican defender Alexis Gamboa and into the net in the 43rd minute — his first goal in international play.
Early in the second half, Tillman redeemed himself with a through ball to Arfsten, who surged in from the left wing and tucked a clinical finish into the far corner to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead.
Costa Rica responded in the 71st minute. After Carlos Mora split Arfsten and Luca de la Torre to test Freese, Alonso Martínez pounced on the rebound and fired a left-footed equalizer past the scrambling American keeper to knot the match at 2-2.
Concacaf’s new rules for the 2025 Gold Cup eliminated extra time in knockout rounds except for the final, so the match went directly to penalties after regulation.
The shootout unfolded with nerve-shredding drama. John Tolkin had the first chance to seal victory for the U.S. in the fifth round, but his attempt was swatted away by Navas, keeping the Ticos alive.
Freese, who had already made two key saves, came up clutch again in the sixth round, diving to deny Andy Rojas. Rising to his feet, Freese nodded in celebration and stuck out his tongue at his teammates, who erupted in celebration at midfield.
That set the stage for Damion Downs. The 20-year-old calmly stepped up and buried his spot kick, sealing the U.S. win and sending them to the semifinals for the 17th time in 18 Gold Cup appearances — a streak that dates back to a quarterfinal loss to Colombia on penalties in 2000.
Both teams were missing key contributors. The U.S. was without several European-based stars, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Sergiño Dest, due to a mix of injuries, rest, and Club World Cup duties.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, lacked four key players. Star forward Manfred Ugalde and midfielder Carlos Mora were suspended due to yellow card accumulation, while Ariel Lassiter (broken hand) and Warren Madrigal (broken leg) were out injured.
Despite the absences, the match delivered high drama and showcased the next wave of U.S. talent — particularly Freese, Luna, Arfsten, and Downs — who rose to the moment under tournament pressure.
The U.S. will face a resurgent Guatemala team in the semifinals on Wednesday at CityPark in St. Louis. On the other side of the bracket, Mexico takes on Honduras at Levi’s Stadium in California. The winners will meet in the final on July 6 at NRG Stadium in Houston, where the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup champion will be crowned.
