The United States qualified for the 2027 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup after defeating Guatemala 3-1 in the Concacaf U-20 Championship quarterfinals on Tuesday night. The match at Estadio Universitario BUAP in Puebla, Mexico, also sent the Americans into the regional semifinals, where they will face Costa Rica, according to Concacaf's official match report published early Wednesday.
Guatemala took the lead in the 36th minute against a United States side that had not conceded in the tournament. Marvin Ávila delivered a high cross that struck the crossbar, and Oscar de León reacted to convert the rebound. The goal gave Guatemala a reward for resisting early American pressure and created the first deficit of the competition for the group winner.
The United States equalized five minutes into first-half stoppage time. A corner was deflected inside the penalty area and Brandon Dayes arrived to finish the loose ball, sending the teams into the interval level. The timing changed the contest by preventing Guatemala from carrying its lead into the second half and restored momentum to the Americans.
Dino Klapija completed the turnaround in the 68th minute with a powerful shot from the center of the box. Seven minutes later, Ruben Ramos played a precise through ball to Josh Torquato, whose strong left-footed finish made the score 3-1. Concacaf recorded those two second-half goals as the decisive sequence in a match in which its statistics listed possession at 50 percent for each team.
The victory carries consequences beyond the regional tournament. By reaching the last four, the United States secured one of Concacaf's places at the 2027 global championship in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Guatemala was eliminated despite becoming the first team to score against the Americans, while the United States preserved its chance to win the continental U-20 title.
Costa Rica will be the next opponent after advancing earlier Tuesday with a 5-3 penalty-shootout victory over Haiti following a 1-1 draw. Concacaf said Costa Rica also qualified for the 2027 World Cup through that result. The semifinal will therefore match two already-qualified teams, with a place in the regional final and the Concacaf championship still at stake.
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