MINNEAPOLIS — Damion Downs scored in the sixth round of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica after a 2-2 tie on Sunday night.The U.S. advanced to a Wednesday matchup in St. Louis against Guatemala, which upset Canada on penalty kicks in the opener of the quarterfinal doubleheader. “They showed today great character,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.Freese batted away shootout attempts by Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo and Andy Rojas.“Penalties are my thing,” Freese said. “On the plane ride over here to Minnesota I was studying the penalties and I’ve been studying them all week.”Mexico plays Honduras in the other semifinal on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. The championship is in Houston on July 6. The U.S. has reached the semifinals in 17 of 18 Gold Cups, including 13 straight since a penalty-kicks loss to Colombia in a 2000 quarterfinal.Diego Luna and Max Arfsten scored in regulation for the No. 16 U.S., which faced its highest-ranked opponent of the tournament in Costa Rica (54th) after breezing through the group stage with an 8-1 goal differential.Alonso Martinez scored the tying goal for the Ticos in the 71st minute with a left-footed shot after Carlos Mora split Luca de La Torre and Arsten to take a shot on Freese and seize the rebound to set up Martinez.CONCACAF changed the rules for this edition of the biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, eliminating …
