United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has praised attacker Diego Luna after his goalscoring exploits in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Guatemala.
Diego Luna, 21, scored both goals as the United States men national team claimed a hard-fought win over Los Chapines to advance to a first Gold Cup final since 2021.
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Speaking after the match, the former Chelsea boss was impressed with the youngster’s hunger and desire to play.
Pochettino said; “[His] attitude, hunger, desire, everything, and then for sure, the talent will appear. But that is what we expect from our athletes, that’s what we want.”
“Diego was a good example from January [camp], how he is desperate to play for this shirt, for the national team, and that is why now he’s in the level that he showed”, he continued.
The 21-year old opened the scoring in the fourth minute before doubling his and the country’s account with a brilliant right-footed attempt in the 15th minute.
Guatemala pulled one back late in the game through Olger Escobar, although the United States team held on to advance to a 13th final at the competition.
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“An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football,” the U.S. coach added.
“When we say the connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we [would] like to see in the World Cup.
You play for something more, you play for emotion, you play [to] be happy, be sad. I saw players of the Guatemala [team] crying. That is the way that we need to feel, and our fans need to feel the same”, he stated.
“It’s good for our players, because when we talk about culture, that is culture. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country.”
USMNT face defending champions Mexico, who overcame Honduras in the other semifinal, in the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday, with Pochettino hoping to claim a first silverware since he took charge.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
