One semi-final of the Gold Cup has already been determined, with Mexico taking on Honduras. We will soon find out what the tie will be on the other side of the draw, with the USMNT taking on Costa Rica, whilst Canada faces Guatemala in their quarter-finals.
Not everything seems well in the USMNT camp
The USMNT won all three of their group stage matches. They dismissed Trinidad and Tobago 5-0, before beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 and then overcoming Haiti 2-1. However, Mauricio Pochettino is still being questioned about his position.
Pochettino has already revealed that he would one day like to return to Tottenham Hotspur. There were also reports that he interviewed for the Brentford job. However, Pochettino has denied this. Brentford's old boss, Thomas Frank, is the new Spurs manager, whilst the Bees manager's position went to their former set-piece coach, Keith Andrews.
The Argentine's time as USMNT head coach has been mixed. Before the Gold Cup, the Stars and Stripes suffered four straight defeats, but they now have a 100% win record at the tournament. Pochettino's side will be tested further now that we are into the knockout stages, starting with the quarter-final against Costa Rica.
View on Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Gold Cup campaign started with a 4-3 win over Suriname, they then defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1, before drawing 0-0 with Mexico. Their star players so far have been Josimar Alcócer, who has scored twice, and Manfred Ugalde, who has three goals at the tournament.
Los Ticos are managed by Miguel Herrera, who coached Mexico at the 2014 World Cup, where they made it to the round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands. Herrera will be hoping to guide Costa Rica to the 2026 World Cup when the qualification process resumes in September.
Team news and predicted lineups
Pochettino should name an unchanged side to the one that has just beaten Haiti.
USMNT predicted lineup: Freese, Freeman, Richards, Ream, Tolkin, Adams, De la Torre, Sullivan, Aaronson, Agyemang, Tillman
Costa Rica should also name a similar side to the one that drew with Mexico.
Costa Rica predicted lineup: Navas, C Mora, Mitchell, Vargas, Calva, J Mora, Alcócer, Galo, Zamora, Ugalde, Martínez
Historical context and prediction
The USMNT has played Costa Rica 43 times in their history, winning 20, drawing six, and losing 17. The last time the two sides met was in a friendly last January. The Stars and Stripes won 3-0 that day thanks to goals from Brian White, Caden Clark, and Patrick Agyemang.
Pochettino's roster for the Gold Cup is only a slightly improved one from the January camp. This is due to Club World Cup commitments, injuries, and fatigue. Therefore, the USMNT should beat Costa Rica, score prediction: 2-0.
How to watch USA vs. Costa Rica
The USMNT will take on Costa Rica at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minnesota. The match will be televised on Fox, Univision, TUDN, and ViX. Whilst it can also be streamed on Fubo,DirectTV Stream, and Sling Blue.