Diego Luna shines with two goals as USA advances to Gold Cup final vs. Mexico

Diego Luna scored two goals in the first 15 minutes and the U.S. men’s national team overcame late adversity to beat Guatemala 2-1 and advance to the Gold Cup final.

Fresh off a dramatic penalty shootout in the quarterfinal, the Americans put together a character-building win in front of a raucous, pro-Guatemala crowd on Wednesday in St. Louis. The USMNT dominated early before enduring some nervy moments against a team that had nothing to lose.

It was just a few weeks ago that the headlines surrounding this team were all about Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Antonee "Jedi" Robinson and the other American mainstays who were not on this summer’s roster for one reason or another. Now, after some impressive and gutsy performances, this rag-tag group that has only played together for a few weeks will prepare to play in the Gold Cup final on Sunday.

Here are takeaways from the match:

Diego Luna’s star continues to rise

In a tournament where U.S. players are doing everything in their power to state their case for a 2026 World Cup roster spot, Luna’s effort and determination has been impossible to ignore.

The Real Salt Lake midfielder bagged a brace in the first 15 minutes, showing off his creativity and confidence. The first goal came in the fourth minute when Luca de la Torre’s shot was blocked and Luna finished with his left foot to give the USMNT the early start it needed. 

His second goal came in the 15th minute when Malik Tillman switched the point of attack to find Luna just outside the box. Luna stepped over the ball before striking it – with his right foot this time – past goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro to score his third-ever international goal.

Luna has certainly come a long way since being left off the U.S. Olympics