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USA vs. Costa Rica score: USMNT result as Matt Freese plays penalty shootout hero in Gold Cup quarterifnals

The United States avoided disaster in the quarterfinal of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup as they advanced past Costa Rica on penalties following a 2-2 draw.

The USMNT dominated much of the game in Minneapolis on Sunday evening, but succumbed to individual errors once again. Left-back Max Arfsten’s performance was a microcosm of the match, as he scored a goal and assisted another for Diego Luna, but was also largely at fault for both Costa Rica goals.

With the match headed straight to a penalties after regulation ended, Matt Freese emerged as the hero of the match with one of the most legendary performances in a shootout in recent memory. Matched up against legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Freese saved three of his six efforts faced and guessed correctly on nearly every single penalty.

The U.S. will move on to face Guatemala in the semifinals, after they upset Canada on a shootout of their own earlier in the afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Sporting News followed the USA vs. Costa Rica match live, providing score updates, commentary, and analysis.

JUMP TO: Full match recap | Team news and lineups | Match stats

USA vs. Costa Rica live score

  Score Goalscorers Penalties
USA 2 Luna (43′),
Arfsten (47′)		 4
Costa Rica 2 Calvo (12′, pen),
A. Martinez (71′)		 3

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, MN)
Referee: Walter Lopez Castellanos (GUA)

Starting lineups:

USA (4-3-3, right to left): 25. Freese (GK) — 16. Freeman, 3. Richards, 13. Ream, 18. Arfsten (Tolkin, 83′) — 8. Berhalter, 4. Adams, 14. de la Torre (Downs, 77′) — 17. Tillman, 24. Agyemang (White, 90′), 10. Luna (McGlynn , 83′).

Costa Rica (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Navas (GK) — 4. J.P. Vargas, 6. Gamboa, 15. Calvo, 22. C. Mora, — 10. Aguilera (Rojas, 58′), 16. Bran (C. Nunez, 74′), 14. Galo, 20. Alcocer (van der Putten, 88′) — 12. A. Martinez, 19. K. Vargas (Brenes, 58′).

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USA vs. Costa Rica stats

USA Stat Costa Rica
18 Shots 7
4 Shots on target 3
1.98 Expected goals 1.59
64% Possession 36%
413 Accurate passes 215
9 Corners 2
14 Fouls 14
1 Yellow cards 3

USA vs. Costa Rica live updates, highlights from Gold Cup 2025

PENALTY SHOOTOUT

  R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6
Costa Rica X O X X O O
USA X X O X O X

Round 1

Costa Rica — The visitors will shoot first, as Alonso Martinez steps up and…SCORES! He goes right down the middle and Matt Freese is sent on his way!

USA — First for the United States is Tyler Adams who places the ball down and…SCORES! It’s ice in the veins of the USMNT leader who sneaks it in off the fingertips of Keylor Navas!

Round 2

Costa Rica — Up steps Juan Pablo Vargas, whose penalty is…SAVED!! He goes to the right but Matt Freese guesses correctly and dives straight into the path of the ball and parries it away!

USA — Now to take the lead for the United States is Malik Tillman who struck the crossbar during regulation. He steps up and…SCORES! He buries the effort, and while Keylor Navas guesses correctly, he can’t quite get there!

Round 3

Costa Rica — Hoping to get Costa Rica back level is 21-year-old Santiago van der Putten who came on just before the end of regulation. He steps up and…SCORES! MATT FREESE HAD THE SAVE BUT COULDN’T GET IT! Again the penalty is to the goalkeeper’s left, but the ball goes in off his palm!

USA — Now for the United States, her’s Sebastian Berhalter who…MISSES! Oh no, he’s put it over the crossbar with his family in the stands! We’re back level on the score!

Round 4

Costa Rica — Up for Costa Rica is another substitute Jefferson Brenes, and he…SCORES! Matt Freese guesses right again but it goes just inches out of reach! The U.S. goalkeeper was so close again!

USA — Here’s Alex Freeman of the United States, and with Keylor Navas chirping him as he steps up, he…SCORES! His stutter-step doesn’t get Navas to bite, but he simply pokes it just inside the right post which the goalkeeper can’t reach!

Round 5

Costa Rica — It’s Francisco Calvo for Costa Rica to step up, and his effort is…SAVED! CALVO GOES DOWN THE MIDDLE AND FREESE HOLDS HIS GROUND! WHAT A MOMENT! HOW DID HE KNOW NOT TO MOVE?!?!?

USA — To win it for the United States is John Tolkin who is hoping to have the final take of the shootout! Once Keylor Navas’s delay tactics are over, he steps up, and…SAVED! IT’S AN INCREDIBLE SAVE BY NAVAS WHO COMES FLYING OUT AND PARRIES THE EFFORT! That’s a great stop!

Round 6

Costa Rica — Into sudden death, here’s teenager Andy Rojas for Costa Rica, who takes forever to place the ball. Once he has it how he wants it, his effort is…SAVED! MATT FREESE MATCHES KEYLOR NAVAS WITH A FLYING STOP OF HIS OWN! Matt Freese has guessed correctly on nearly every single penalty!

USA — From a teenager for Costa Rica, here’s 20-year-old Damion Downs for the United States, who steps up and…SCORES! THE UNITED STATES MOVE ON! Keylor Navas never had it, as he dove well before Downs’ take and he ends up the wrong way!

FULLTIME: USA 2-2 Costa Rica

That’s the end of regulation, and we will go to a penalty shootout!! The United States will have to find a way in a penalty shootout past Keylor Navas, who is a legend of the game. There has never been a penalty shootout between these two nations before.

90+1 min: Chance, USA! Malik Tillman has room for a shot but has it sent wide on a deflection! Then moments later John Tolkin’s delivery meets the head of Brian White but the header goes wide!

90th min: Patrick Agyemang comes off the field as stoppage time beings, replaced by Brian White. With penalties coming, Mauricio Pochettino gets his team set for a possible shootout. Three minutes of stoppage time are shown.

87th min: Damion Downs charges through on goal just at the top of the penalty area, but is tackled by two Costa Rica defenders before he can shoot! He’s gotta get a shot off there!

85th min: Chance, Costa Rica! ALONSO MARTINEZ HITS THE POST! Costa Rica nearly goes in front as Alex Freeman is beat to concede a blistering effort from outside the penalty area!

83rd min: Into the match for the United States is Jack McGlynn, taking over for Diego Luna. John Tolkin comes on right after him in place of Max Arfsten, who had an eventful game to say the least.

76th min: Chance, USA! Malik Tillman clips the crossbar! He gets it from Diego Luna and charges on goal, rifling a shot that just grazes the woodwork as it flies over!

Tillman is having a FABULOUS game! Mauricio Pochettino makes his first substitution of the match, and he’s going for it — Damion Downs comes on to replace Luca de la Torre.

71st min: GOAL! COSTA RICA! Alonso Martinez brings Costa Rica level on their first good attack of the half! Max Arfsten gets cooked by Carlos Mora who squeezes right between Arfsten and Luca de la Torre and rips a shot at the near post. The effort is saved very well by Matt Freese but falls right back to Mora who brilliantly collects and squares to Martinez right atop the six-yard box and smashes it into the net!

Game on!

67th min: The U.S. has been pushing hard for a third goal, and Francisco Calvo has to tug Patrick Agyemang back by his shirt in order to keep him from moving forward. Somehow, that’s not a yellow card, but it does give the U.S. a dangerous set-piece which Sebastian Berhalter clips to Chris Richards to the far post but it’s just too far.

55th min: Chance, USA! Luca de la Torre’s deflected cross rattles the crossbar! He’s trying to find Max Arfsten crashing the back post, but the ball clips the woodwork!

Costa Rica makes a pair of substitutions as Brandon Aguilera and Kenneth Vargas exit, while Andy Rojas and Jefferson Brenes come on.

50th min: Chance, USA! Chris Richards heads on goal off a set-piece and Keylor Navas makes a SENSATIONAL SAVE to keep the U.S. defender out! Malik Tillman is slow to get up in the aftermath, as he’s taking a massive beating in this game.

47th min: GOAL! USA! Max Arfsten has atoned for his earlier mistake to put the USMNT ahead just over a minute into the second half!

Patrick Agyemang’s brilliant hold-up play allows Malik Tillman to charge on goal into the top of the penalty area, and he slots it left to Arfsten in space for the finish!

2nd half kickoff: The match is back under way for the second half, with no changes for either side! If the match is level at the end of 90 minutes, we go straight to penalties with no extra-time!

HALFTIME: USA 1-1 Costa Rica

We knew this game would be a slugfest, and so far through 45 minutes that’s absolutely been the case. The United States did very well to claw their way back level after conceding an early goal, but they cannot make any more mistakes if they wish to win this game.

The USMNT has been by far the better side on the whole, but mistakes have continued to hurt them in CONCACAF play. Max Arfsten’s bad challenge and Malik Tillman’s missed penalty are the only reason they’re not in firm command of this game.

43rd min: GOAL! USA! DIEGO LUNA’S SHOT TAKES A HUGE DEFLECTION AND WE’RE LEVEL! He collects a cross from Max Arfsten with a brilliant first touch, and fires a powerful left-footed shot on the whipped turn. It ricochets off a Costa Rica defender and plants past a diving Keylor Navas!

It’s a first international goal for Luna! What a moment!

41st min: Chance, USA! On a third successive corner for the United States, Patrick Agyemang rises above his defender at the back post and gets h is head to the ball, but puts it wide!

37th min: MELEE!!!! After Tillman’s missed penalty, once the chance is gone, a massive scuffle breaks out on the pitch!

Chris Richards and Kenneth Vargas are booked in the aftermath, and the U.S. moves on to take the corner. What a wild passage of play.

33rd min: Penalty, USA! Malik Tillman is tackled late in the penalty area, with the studs of Juan Pablo Vargas going right into the back of Tillman’s ankle right in the Achilles. There was no call on the pitch, but after Tillman makes the VAR signal, the replay official agrees, and sends the referee over to the monitor.

After a long look, Walter Lopez Castellanos comes away and says penalty!! And it’s also a yellow to Vargas, which is VERY lucky to the Costa Rica defender who could have been sent off! The United States will have a chance to level the match here.

Tillman, who has never taken a professional penalty at the senior level, steps up and…MISSES! IT’S OFF THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST! On the rebound, Max Arfsten tries to recycle the ball and Navas makes a great stop to tip the penalty over the crossbar! The United States remain down a goal!

30th min: This pitch at U.S. Bank Stadium is a disaster. Everyone is slipping on the field surface, and it caused Malik Tillman to take a super awkward fall during a sliding challenge, with his knees buckling. The pitch feels like it’ll get someone injured.

23rd min: The U.S. has been strong since the early Costa Rica goal, and Tyler Adams wins a foul out atop the penalty area for a good set-piece opportunity. The delivery is too deep ahead of Chris Richards, and Keylor Navas comes out to catch.

Costa Rica, unsurprisingly, are milking every stoppage of play as long as they can. Classic CONCACAF tactics.

16th min: Max Arfsten whips a cross just too high for the attackers waiting in the penalty area, and as it falls to Alex Freeman on the top corner of the penalty area, he blasts the ball miles over the crossbar. A good look but a very disappointing finish.

10th min: Penalty, Costa Rica! After blocking a cross, Max Arfsten makes a terrible challenge on the byline and topples Kenneth Vargas! The referee points to the spot, and it’s the correct call! What was the U.S. defender thinking???

Francisco Calvo steps up to take against Matt Freese, and…GOAL! COSTA RICA! Freese got a hand to it as he guessed correctly, but couldn’t keep it out! The United States trail early!

Kickoff: They’re under way at U.S. Bank Stadium! It’s the first time the USMNT has played at this venue, as they shoot for a quarterfinal spot!

USA vs. Costa Rica: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

15 mins to kickoff: The United States love playing against Costa Rica in the Gold Cup, but they will be well aware of their opponent’s viability. Two of the three Gold Cup quarterfinals to this point have resulted in an upset, as only Mexico managed to stand on business. Can the U.S. avoid an even more topsy turvy result than Canada’s exit just a few minutes ago?

40 mins to kickoff: In the other quarterfinal, Canada have been eliminated by Guatemala on a penalty shootout. Canada led and were in control until Jacob Shaffelburg was sent off just before halftime. Guatemala were exceptional in the second half playing a man up, and got an equalizer off the head of former U.S. international Rubio Rubin.

It was a super weird shootout, where both goalkeepers failed to save penalties in which they were in position to do so, before both teams missed their final penalties of the five. Ultimately, 19-year-old Luc de Fougerolles smashes his penalty off the underside of the crossbar and Canada went out. Les Rouges were incredibly short-handed, with Jonathan David suffering an injury while the likes of Moise Bombito, Stephen Eustaquio, and Ali Ahmed were not with the side.

1 hour to kickoff: Costa Rica make three changes from their lineup against Mexico to conclude the group stage. It’ll be Kevin Vargas who comes in up front for the suspended Manfred Ugalde, while there are two alterations in defense as well. Jeyland Mitchell and Joseph Mora are brought out, replaced by Alejandro Bran and Alexis Gamboa, signaling a switch to a 4-4-2.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: The USMNT starting lineup is in! Mauricio Pochettino has switched from the 4-2-3-1 he used throughout the group stage to a 4-3-3, installing Tyler Adams into the lineup alongside Sebastian Berhalter and Luca de la Torre, while Malik Tillman goes out on the wing opposite Diego Luna.

1 hour 30 mins to kick: We’ll see what the crowd looks like for the match today, but through the group stage, attendance throughout the Gold Cup has plummeted. According to Paul Kennedy of SoccerAmerica, the 19,306 average attendance for all matches is down 32% from 2023, and USMNT matches have seen a 57% nosedive.

There are likely a number of reasons for this phenomenon, but prices and a lack of excitement around the U.S. team are the most plausible excuses.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: In the early match, Canada are up 1-0 on Guatemala, but Les Rouges are in a pickle. Jacob Shaffelburg was sent off for picking up two yellow cards in a five-minute span just before halftime, and Tajon Buchanan appears to be struggling with a hamstring injury.

Obviously, playing a man down for the second half will be a challenge in its own right, but should they advance, they could be playing a semifinal against the U.S. or Costa Rica with one natural winger. Shaffelburg will be suspended, Buchanan may be hurt, and Ali Ahmed is already out of the Gold Cup with an injury.

2 hours to kickoff: Welcome to coverage from The Sporting News of tonight’s USMNT match in the Gold Cup quarterfinals against Costa Rica!

With Sebastian Berhalter gaining the trust of Mauricio Pochettino, his father Gregg, who is Pochettino’s predecessor, says he will be in attendance at tonight’s match!

USA vs. Costa Rica kick off time

This Gold Cup quarterfinal match kicks off from U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, June 29 at 6 p.m. local time in Minneapolis, MN. Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:

  Date Kickoff time
USA/Canada Sun, Jun. 29 7 p.m. ET
USA/Canada Sun, Jun. 29 4 p.m. PT
UK Mon, Jun. 30 12 a.m. BST
Australia Mon, Jun. 30 11 a.m. AEST
India Mon, Jun. 30 4:30 a.m. IST

USA vs. Costa Rica lineups, team news

Johnny Cardoso has picked up an ankle injury and does not make the squad, while Haji Wright‘s Gold Cup is over after an Achilles injury.

The U.S. are without injured regulars Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, and Folarin Balogun for this tournament, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna are unavailable as they are participating in the Club World Cup.

Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah requested to have the summer off and are not with the side.

USA starting lineup (4-3-3): Freese (GK) — Freeman, Richards, Ream, Arfsten — Berhalter, Adams, de la Torre — Tillman, Agyemang, Luna.

USA subs: Turner (GK), Tolkin, M. Robinson, Harriel, McKenzie, Zimmerman, McGlynn, P. Aaronson, B. Aaronson, Sullivan, Downs, White.

Costa Rica captain Keylor Navas is still going strong at 38 years old, now with Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and readying for his 118th international cap.

His squad is depleted somewhat as multiple players have triggered yellow card suspensions with two bookings across the group stage. Defender Joseph Mora and the side’s top Gold Cup scorer Manfred Ugalde are the two who will sit out this match, while six other players would see themselves out of a potential semifinal with another booking across the coming 90 minutes.

Head coach Miguel Herrera made the decision to leave cap centurion Joel Campbell off his Gold Cup roster, as the 32-year-old has not been a consistent performer for Costa Rican giants Alajuelense since returning in January from a loan spell in Brazil.

Costa Rica starting lineup (4-4-2): Navas (GK) — Vargas, Gamboa, Calvo, C. Mora, — Aguilera, Bran, Galo, Alcocer — A. Martinez, Vargas.

Costa Rica subs: Lezcano (GK), Sequeira (GK), van der Putten, Villalobos, Myrie, Faerron, Brenes, C. Nunez, Rojas, Zamora.

USA vs. Costa Rica live stream, TV channel

  • English:
    • TV channel: FOX
    • Streaming: Fubo
  • Spanish:
    • TV channel: TUDN, Univision
    • Streaming: Fubo, ViX

The entirety of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be broadcast by Fox Sports, with this USMNT knockout stage match given network priority.

While many Gold Cup matches can be found on FS1, this game will be available to watch in the United States on FOX network channel. All games across the Fox family of channels will be available to stream on Fubo, which is offering a free trial for new users.

In Canada, this match will be televised on OneSoccer as well as TSN3 and TSN5, all of which can be found streaming on Fubo Canada.

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