GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Four years after he was basically cut from the United States curling program, John Shuster began to celebrate with his teammates before his final rock of the match even came to a rest. The victory was as improbable as it was meaningful.

“This team,” he said, “is by far the most resilient group of guys.”

The United States men’s curling team, on the brink of elimination for much of the 2018 Winter Olympics, withstood enormous pressure to defeat Canada, 5-3, on Thursday in a semifinal at Gangneung Curling Centre. Behind Shuster, the Americans advanced to face Sweden, the top-ranked team in the world, for gold in Saturday’s final.

“I think it was heroic,” Shuster’s teammate Tyler George said. “The guys, one through four, just played the game of their lives when it mattered most. That’s what you dream about doing.”