ST. LOUIS — Diego Luna scored once, then he scored again, and just 15 minutes into the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal Wednesday, the U.S. men’s national soccer team appeared certain of vanquishing Guatemala and seizing a place in Sunday’s final.
But there was nothing easy about the remaining 75 minutes — not against an opponent that, with each stage of this regional tournament, grew in confidence and rode a wave of emotion cast by thousands of supporters at sold-out Energizer Park.
The duress continued into the dying moments, but after conceding Olger Escobar’s 80th-minute goal, the United States escaped with a 2-1 victory that sent Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad to Houston to play Mexico or Honduras.