Tyler Adams Affirms US Team Will Respect Guatemala Ahead of Gold Cup Semifinals

The United States, seven-time champions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, are taking no chances ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against Guatemala, according to midfielder Tyler Adams, despite being heavily favoured to win.

Guatemala, currently ranked 106th in the world, has made it to the tournament’s semi-finals for the first time since 1996 after a surprising victory over former champions Canada, triumphing 6-5 on penalties. Meanwhile, the 16th-ranked US team has progressed to this stage for the 13th consecutive time.

“We recognise how formidable Guatemala can be. There’s a reason they’ve reached the semi-finals, so we have to respect the chance to compete against them,” Adams stated during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Adams added that it would feel peculiar to play against Rubio Rubin, who previously represented the US at the youth level before opting to switch his allegiance to Guatemala.

Rubin netted the equalising goal against Canada, which ended in a 1-1 draw before going to penalties.

“It’s always a bit unusual, of course, when you’ve played with them in the youth national team, and now you’re up against them in a Gold Cup. But it’s going to be a really unique experience,” Adams remarked.

“He’s made a name for himself, so it’ll be thrilling to go head-to-head with him.”

The US team also progressed to the semi-finals via a shootout after drawing 2-2 with Costa Rica, and manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed his pride in the squad’s spirit.

“That’s what we aim for. It reflects how we feel, how we want to represent our nation. We are determined to fight for our flag and our jersey,” the Argentine manager said.