The U.S. survived a nervy, gritty shootout, with Damion Downs scoring winner to book their place in the semis
They say shootouts are a lottery, but, realistically, that isn't quite true. There's more to these types of moments than just luck – these are tests of mettle.
Matt Freese, turns out, has plenty of mettle. Heavy mettle, in fact. On Sunday, Freese was cold-blooded, establishing himself as the U.S. men's national team's hero – for one night, anyway – to power Mauricio Pochettino's side into the Gold Cup semifinals for a record 17th time.
Freese stopped three of Costa Rica's shootout attempts, leading the USMNT to victory following a 2-2 draw through 90. Freese, ultimately, was the biggest reason the U.S. advanced, as he stepped up in the face of adversity numerous times to make multiple saves the U.S. needed to survive.
Survive is, ultimately, the key word. After falling behind early after Max Arfsten conceded a penalty, the U.S. saw Malik Tillman miss a penalty of his own on the other side. Diego Luna's incredible equalizer sent the two teams into the half level, leaving it all to play for in the second half.
Once there, the U.S. took the lead early on Arfsten's redemptive goal, but the U.S. defender was carved up on a Costa Rica equalizer in the 71st minute. There was nothing to split the two teams from that point on.
Well, nothing except Freese.
In the shootout, the U.S. goalkeeper – who has started ahead of incumbent Matt Turner in all four Gold Cup games, all four wins – saved the second, fifth and sixth penalty kicks from Costa Rica, giving his side multiple chances to pull away.
Sebastian Berhalter and John Tolkin missed potential winning opportunities for the U.S. but, after yet another Freese save, second-half substitute Damion Downs didn't miss his, sending the U.S. to the semifinal on Wednesday against Guatemala, which had upset Canada earlier on Sunday.
It took every ounce of sweat – and some incredibly anxious moments – to get them there. But a little bit of ice in their goalkeeper's veins, in the biggest performance of his USMNT career, advanced the USMNT to the tournament's semifinals, yet again.
GOAL rates the USMNT's players from U.S. Bank Stadium.
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Matt Freese (8/10):
Under more pressure than he had been in the group stage, but came up huge in the shootout. Nearly got to the initial penalty and bravely came out to claim a few long balls, generally handling his moments well. Made three mammoth stops in the shootout to earn his place in USMNT lore.
Max Arfsten (6/10):
Conceded the early penalty, but then bounced back, setting up the first goal before scoring the second. Then, with the U.S. seemingly cruising, he got absolutely cooked on Costa Rica's equalizing goal. A true rollercoaster of a performance.
Tim Ream (7/10):
Calm and steady on the ball. Did everything he had to do defensively, which really wasn't much.
Chris Richards (7/10):
Got close to his second goal of the tournament a few times, only to be thwarted by Navas once and headed wide on another. Had to toe the line a bit after earning a yellow in a first-half kerfuffle, but he held his composure.
Alex Freeman (6/10):
Had two chances fall to him in the first half, but couldn't make much of them. Had a few really good defensive moments, though, as he continues to grow that side of his game. Credit to him for stepping up and finishing in the shootout, too.
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Tyler Adams (6/10):
Definitely not a vintage, game-changing performance, but Adams was fine as he did the things he usually does in midfield. Buried the USMNT's first chance in the shootout to set the tone.
Sebastian Berhalter (6/10):
Was never shy when it came to getting into it with his Costa Rican counterparts. He quietly created a bunch of chances, too, putting in a very strong shift on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, he skied his penalty kick when the lights were bright.
Luca de la Torre (6/10):
A very useful outlet in midfield but, alongside Arfsten, was beaten on Costa Rica's second. Tough to overlook a moment that bad.
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Diego Luna (8/10):
Seemed a bit tentative at the start, but got his goal when the U.S. really needed it, once again showing how mentally tough he is in the face of adversity.
Malik Tillman (7/10):
Missed the penalty, yes, but then set up Arfsten's goal to atone for it. Was brave enough to step up and bury one in the shootout. Huge credit to him.
Patrick Agyemang (6/10):
Did a lot of the dirty work, not a lot of the glory. His hold-up play directly led to the USMNT's second goal but, ultimately, it's a striker's job to create for himself, too, and Agyemang never really did that.
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Damion Downs (5/10):
Had one very good run on goal, but didn't let it rip in the end. That was almost certainly the result of nerves from the inexperienced forward. But buried the final goal in penalties to seal it for the U.S.
John Tolkin (6/10):
Absolutely mauled a Costa Rica attacker a minute or two after coming on. Had a great cross to White in the dying moments, but saw his spot-kick saved by a diving Navas.
Jack McGlynn (N/A):
Only had a few touches after coming on late.
Brian White (N/A):
Brought on in stoppage time. Had a half-chance via a header, but put it wide.
Mauricio Pochettino (6/10):
Could have been a bit more aggressive with his subs to potentially avoid the shootout, but the U.S. inevitably got it done. The goal was to survive and advance, and – despite some nervy moments – Pochettino's side did just that, erasing a four-game losing streak entering the tournament with four straight Gold Cup wins.
