ST. LOUIS - Tim Ream wasn't ashamed to admit it: the USMNT's thrilling Gold Cup quarterfinal win over Costa Rica was emotional. There was no stereotypes or veteran happy talk, you know, cliches about it being "just another game."
It wasn't. The USMNT's back-and-forth shootout victory over Cost Rica on Sunday - featuring three massive saves by goalkeeper Matt Freese in penalties - was simply exhilarating.
"I think there's a lot of excitement in the changing room," Ream told reporters at USMNT training on Tuesday. "A lot of discussion about how together we felt we were, how important it was that we all have each other's backs. There was a little bit of singing in the locker room after the game, too."
But with that game behind them, and a semifinal ahead, Ream snapped back into business mode.
"Listen, though, I think as soon as we got back to the hotel," he said, "it's a complete focus on recovery and getting ready tomorrow."
That focus is now on Guatemala, the next step of this team's Gold Cup journey. The last one, that emotional shootout win over Costa Rica, was memorable, but the nature of tournaments means that Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. can't dwell on it long. Yes, they had each other's backs on Sunday, but now they have to look ahead to Wednesday and a Guatemala team that just stunned CONCACAF by taking down Canada in the quarters.
The U.S. will be favored, of course, but Guatemala showed that the favorite label doesn't get you much. This will be a challenging game, as all semifinals are - and the USMNT know that feeling well, as this is the record 17th time the've reached the semis of the Gold Cup. They stared down their biggest test in this tournament on Sunday, and will take another one on Wednesday night.
"I think it's very clear that, any time you play for your national team, you're playing against 11 guys who know what they need to do, and who are extremely motivated," Luca de la Torre said. "We have to want it just as much, if not more, than them if we want a chance of winning."
GOAL looks at five keys for the U.S. vs Guatemala, kicking off at 7 p.m. ET in St. Louis on Wednesday.