USA vs. Honduras: Biggest Takeaways from United States' Gold Cup Semifinal Win

For the fifth consecutive Gold Cup, the United States will be playing in the championship match thanks to a 3-1 victory over Honduras in the semifinal. 

The U.S. came into the meeting as a pretty heavy favorite after going on a goalscoring spree in their previous tournament matches. The Stars and Stripes scored 16 goals in four Gold Cup games prior to the semifinal and didn't see their attack slow down.

Landon Donovan notched two more goals and Eddie Johnson got in on the action for the second consecutive game. 

Honduras was able to find the net at the 52-minute mark thanks to Nery Medina converting on one of two total shots on goal for Honduras. 

Now the U.S. team stands just one more match away from hoisting the Gold Cup for the fifth time in history. Here are the key takeaways from the semifinal for the championship match and beyond. 

Landon Donovan Doesn't Need Many Touches to Be Effective

With two goals for Landon Donovan, you'd think that he needs to have the ball as much as possible to do damage. 

As it turns out, that's really not the case. Paul Carr of ESPN reported that Donovan had the least touches of any USMNT starter, with just 30. He was a consistent force all over the field, though:

Despite few opportunities to control the ball, Donovan still managed to find the net twice. Looking ahead, that bodes well for his position on the United States roster as more touches will be given to Jozy Altidore and other rising stars for the team. 

Donovan may be slowing down a bit at 31 years old, but he's shown that he's going to be a contributor on the team for a long time with his ability to adjust to a new role. 

Eddie Johnson Can Score—Against Fellow CONCACAF Teams

For the second time in as many matches, Eddie Johnson was able to score a goal for the United States. 

It's a name that we don't associate with scoring too often, but he surprisingly moved to seventh all-time on the USMNT scoring list, per Paul Carr of ESPN. 

As impressive as 17 career goals on the international stage is, it isn't exactly reason to think that he can contribute much offensively out of competitions like the Gold Cup. As Carr notes, 16 of his 17 goals have come against CONCACAF nations. 

Johnson's resurgence as an important figure on the team has been a refreshing surprise. He's scored more goals this year than he has since his first year with the team in 2004. However, he'll have to show that he can do something on a bigger stage before we get too excited. 

The U.S. May Have to Win the Gold Cup Without Its Leader

Coming out of this match in relative good health, the Stars and Stripes should be seeking the title at full strength on July 28. 

That is, if the team's manager is permitted to join his squad on the sidelines. According to MLS Soccer, Klinsmann may be suspended for the team's Gold Cup match due to his ejection from the semifinal match at the 87-minute mark. 

Klinsmann was tossed from the game for arguing a hard foul against DaMarcus Beasley. 

The United States players have to love playing for a manager that isn't afraid to stand up for his guys. However, if he's not permitted to be involved in the final match, it will be interesting to see how much his ejection winds up costing the team.