Tom Timmermann | Post-Dispatch
In the course of a long, long career that has seen him play hundreds of games in St. Louis — club soccer with Scott Gallagher, high school soccer at St. Dominic, college soccer at St. Louis University, even a few with the U.S. national team — Tim Ream had to admit Wednesday night, he’d never seen one like that in his hometown.
“It’s been very different,” the U.S. captain said with a laugh after the United States beat Guatemala 2-1 at Energizer Park in a semifinal of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, advancing them to a final on Sunday against Mexico in Houston. “The guys were actually asking me in there. They looked at me and they’re like, what, what is that? I said, ‘Honestly, if we’re playing Central American teams, that’s just what you’re gonna get.’ ”
What they got in the middle of America on Wednesday was a taste of Central America. Guatemalan fans easily outnumbered American fans at Energizer Park. The dominant color in the stadium was the sky blue of the Guatemalan flag, which was draped around the neck of many of the fans while others wore the white jersey with blue sash of the national team. When a large roar went up from the crowd, it was the result of something positive for Guatemala; boos meant something good for the United States. In pregame introductions, fans went wild for Guatemalan players, played it cool for U.S. players. If not for the occasional chant of U-S-A, it would be easy to forget where you were.
Guatemalan fans descended on the stadium from all around the Midwest, and farther, celebrating the rare success of their country’s national team. While the Americans are going to the Gold Cup final for the 13th time, more than any other nation, for Guatemala, this was its first trip to the semifinals of the regional championship in 29 years. The country is ranked No. 106 in the world and has never qualified for the World Cup.
The groundswell of Guatemalan love left the American team the road team in its own country and, the players agreed afterward, it was something that was good for them. Leave it to St. Louis fans to come through again.
“I think at the end of the day,” Ream said, “when there is qualifying again, that environment can help those guys.”
So while the win was a good one for the Americans, with emerging star Diego Luna scoring two goals in the first 15 minutes to take control of the game and then the U.S. holding on until a late goal by Guatemala made for a tense final few minutes, it exposed them to a hostile environment it isn’t seeing much in this cycle of international competition. With the United States co-hosting the World Cup next summer, there’s no qualifying for the U.S. to go through, no difficult tests away from home. But that’s what they got in St. Louis on Wednesday.
“That there is CONCACAF,” Ream said. “You’re playing in the heart of America and you have 95 percent Guatemala fans. In the huddle, I told the guys, just take a breath, listen to what we’re doing, look at what we’re doing, embrace what we’re doing, and enjoy it.”
United States of America midfielder Diego Luna (10) celebrates his second goal of the game during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
The lessons learned by the young American squad will come in handy Sunday, when the crowd in Houston figures to be heavily tilted toward Mexico.
“That right there is vitally important for the guys that haven’t experienced it,” Ream said. “I think that will go a long way to helping with the final, having that experience in a semifinal and coming out with a win. The stadium is going to be bigger. There’s going to be more fans. But if you’re going into a final without that (experience), I think guys maybe having a little more of a mental issue than we would like. Now they know, now they understand what it could be like and how in their own minds they can calm themselves down and perform.”
Another person impressed by the Guatemalan fans was U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, who in his roughly year at the helm of the U.S. team hasn’t seen anything like that.
“That was what it was like to play in Guatemala,” he said, “because unbelievable the fans of Guatemala. I need to say, wow, unbelievable. That was like not playing in our country, and that was good for our players, because it was an environment that we didn’t expect. I think every time the fans gave to Guatemala an unbelievable energy, that is football. When we say the connection between the fans and the team that we like to see in the World Cup, that connection that you makes you fly because of the energy. Do you think today that was a sport and two teams playing? No, you play for something more. You play for emotion. You play for being happy, being sad. I saw players from Guatemala crying. I said, you are in the good way. I said congratulations. That is the way that we need to feel, and our family needs to feel the same.”
The most encouraging thing for the U.S. team was the play of Luna, who now has three goals in 11 international games, along with four assists for a team-high seven goal contributions this season, and he hasn’t turned 22 yet.
“Very exciting,” Luna said. “It’s an honor, it’s a privilege. I think the coolest thing is to help the team win. It comes with the excitement of people praising you, but I think the coolest thing is we’re in the final.”
Pochettino has given Luna a chance, playing him in 10 of the team’s 11 games this season.
“It’s easy now to prize him and get the credit,” Pochettino said. “I don’t want to get the credit. It’s his credit. I try to provide the coaching staff when we arrive here to try to see things in a different way. … I’m happy he scored goals, but that attitude, hunger, desire, and everything and then the talent will appear. … The two goals in 15 minutes is, for him, is just so impressive.”
Going up 2-0 in less that a quarter hour put a little damper in the Guatemala fan base but they kept pushing and the team finally scored in the 80th minute, stepping up the pressure on the U.S., since one goal would put the teams into another penalty kick shootout. But the Americans held on to win.
“We’re on to a final that I’d say a month ago everyone basically counted us out of,” Ream said. “Shame on them. So for us, it’s great, amazing.”
United States of America midfielder Diego Luna (10) and United States of America player Sebastian Berhalter celebrate Luna’s second goal of the game to put the US team up 2-0 in the first half during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Editor’s note: The caption originally named an incorrect player.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
Thousands of Guatemala fans crowds the gates of energizer park before the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
A Guatemala fan waves the flag of Guatemala above their head prior too the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Vendors line the streets around Energizer Park selling food and jerseys before the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Fans of Guatemala chant as their team takes the field during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Guatemala head coach Luis Fernando Tena and United States of America head coach Mauricio Pochettino greet each other before the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
United States of America midfielder Diego Luna (10) celebrates his second goal of the game during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Guatemala midfielder Pedro Altan (10) falls on United States of America midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (8) during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
United States of America defender Chris Richards (3) and Guatemala defender Stheven Robles (13) speak to a referee during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
United States of America midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (8) slide tackles Guatemala forward Rubio Rubin (9) during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
United States of America forward Malik Tillman (17) falls to the ground after attempting a play against Guatemala defender Stheven Robles (13) during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Guatemala defender Aaron Herrera (7) and Guatemala defender Oscar Castellanos (17) fight for the ball during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Guatemala defender Jose Morales (16) and United States of America midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) jump for the ball during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
Guatemala midfielder Oscar Santis (18) and United States of America defender Tim Ream (13) yell at each other after Santis received a yellow card during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph,Post-Dispatch
United States of America forward Patrick Agyemang (24) and Guatemala defender Nicolas Samayoa (3) go up for a header during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
Guatemala midfielder Pedro Altan (10) and United States of America midfielder Luca De La Torre (14) go up for the ball during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
United States of America forward Patrick Agyemang (24) watches a his shot misses the goal during the United States game against Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in Energizer Park in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
St. Louis City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O’Malley talk about the team’s winless streak hitting four games with a 1-0 loss to Houston that was devoid of much offense, but saw the team allow only one goal with a very makeshift lineup. But one goal allowed was one too many.
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