The United States and Guatemala will go head-to-head for the first time in almost a decade in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday on FOX (kickoff at 7 p.m. ET; coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on FS1).
The U.S. and Guatemala haven’t played each other since the World Cup qualifying semifinals in 2016, when both sides won their respective home matches. That was the sole loss for the U.S. in their last 23 meetings with Guatemala (16W-6D-1L).
The U.S. have never lost at home to Guatemala, winning 14 of 15 games, and drawing only a 2007 friendly. Could that change on Wednesday? Here’s everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated match:
How to watch United States vs. Guatemala:
The match will air on FS1 and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2.
The U.S. At The Gold Cup So Far:
- The United States is in the Gold Cup semifinals for a record 17th time, missing out only in 2000. They’ve made 13 semifinals in a row, the longest streak in Gold Cup history.
- The U.S. seeks a record 13th Gold Cup final appearance and an eighth Gold Cup title. They went out in the 2023 Gold Cup semifinals vs. Panama and the U.S. have never missed consecutive Gold Cup finals.
- For the second straight Gold Cup, the U.S. needed penalties to advance in the quarterfinals. After being eliminated b Canada in the quarterfinals two years ago, the U.S. reached the semifinals this year by eliminating Costa Rica on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
- Matt Freese became the second keeper in team history to save three penalties in a competitive shootout, matching Tony Meola’s feat in the 1991 Gold Cup final.
- With an assist and a joint-team-high four shots in the quarterfinals, Malik Tillman continues to shine. He leads the U.S. in goals (three), tackles (16), interceptions (seven) and recoveries (27) at the tournament, and he has six chances created, tied for third-most on the team.
Scouting Guatemala:
- Guatemala was the biggest surprise of the tournament, advancing in the Gold Cup knockout stage for the first time and reaching their second Gold Cup semifinals (their first was in 1996, when there was no quarterfinal round).
- Guatemala has not reached a Concacaf final since the Gold Cup began in 1991. They did make three finals of the Concacaf Championship in the 1960s, winning in 1967 and finishing runner-up in 1965 and 1969.
- Guatemala are 106th in the FIFA rankings, the third-lowest of the 15 ranked teams in this tournament (Guadeloupe is not FIFA ranked). The only lower-ranked team to reach the Gold Cup semifinals was Guatemala in 1996, ranked 145th. The 1996 Guatemala team lost 1-0 to Mexico in the semis and finished fourth.
- Oregon-born Rubio Rubín had Guatemala’s equalizer in the quarterfinals, and he’s the only Guatemala player with two goals at this tournament, scoring in each of Guatemala’s last two games. He has three goals in five caps since March, and all three goals were game-winners or equalizers.
- These teams got here playing very different styles. The U.S. leads the tournament with 66% possession and a plus-41 shot difference. Guatemala’s 44% possession ranks sixth among knockout-stage teams; their minus-14 shot difference is seventh.
How To Watch United States vs. Guatemala:
The match will air on FS1 and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2.
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