Panama came from behind to beat the U.S. men's national team 2-1 on Thursday at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a Copa America group stage match that was marred by a red card for each team.
The U.S.' game plan went out the window in the 18th minute when Timothy Weah was given a straight red card for a shove on Panama's Roderick Miller. The referee originally awarded Weah a yellow card but upon review, he upgraded the punishment, which reduced the USMNT to 10 players for the remainder of the match.
The hosts responded just four minutes later by taking the lead, courtesy of Folarin Balogun. He combined nicely with Antonee Robinson and then took a stellar strike from the edge of the penalty area, scoring his second goal of the tournament. Their lead was short-lived, though, with Cesar Blackman scoring from close range in the 26th minute as Panama benefitted from a turnover and caught the USMNT's defense off guard.
Panama spent much of the game as the dominant side, boasting 72.5% of possession and outshooting the USMNT 13-6. Los Canaleros were wasteful as they searched for their go-ahead goal, putting just four of their shots on target and losing the expected goals battle 0.92 to 1.04, but were rewarded for their one-man advantage in the 82nd minute. Substitute Jose Fajardo scored the goal from close range, cementing the loss for the USMNT.
A chaotic match took another turn just four minutes later when Adalberto Carrasquilla picked up a red card of his own for kicking out at Christian Pulisic, who was making a run at goal as the USMNT fervently searched for an equalizer that never came.
The result means that the USMNT and Panama are now tied on points in Group C and are likely in a battle for second place. The pair most likely need wins in their final group stage games on Monday, with the tiebreakers favoring the hosts. The schedule does not benefit the U.S., though -- they have to play Uruguay, who are now the favorites to top the group, while Panama face current bottom-dwellers Bolivia.
A chaotic game comes to a close, and it's Panama who come out on top. Weah's 18th minute red card really hurt the USMNT's chances of doing much int his game and though they were level for much of the match, Panama's one man advantage for the majority of the game paid off. The USMNT, Panama and Uruguay are all tied on points in Group C -- and that's before Uruguay play Bolivia tonight.
90'+3 the U.S. have spent the minutes since the red card searching for the equalizer, hoping their practice on set pieces will help. It hasn't worked, though and they seem certain for defeat.
87' Carrasquilla kicks out at Pulisic as the U.S. captain runs towards goal and there's no hesitation from the referee, who pulls out a red card for the second time today. Richards also gets a yellow card for reacting to the incident.
82' At long last, Panama have their go-ahead goal. courtesy of Fajardo. He's been busy since coming on as a substitute in the second half and after a quick little build up play in the box, he finishes for close range to give his side the lead.
80' The USMNT deliver another promising attacking moment, which starts with a skillful long ball from Robinson. The ball eventually falls to McKennie on the right side, who makes a nice run and then delivers a cross into the box for Pepi, who is near the goal line. The ball is just too high for Pepi, who attempts a header but can't nail the perfect shot.
78' Panama may have dominated much of the match but this game has opened up in recent minutes thanks to Berhalter's attack-minded substitution. The USMNT aren't racking up quality shots right now but they're making more promising forward runs, while Panama maintains their constant search for a second goal, creating an entertaining finish to the half.
70' Pepi comes on for Balogun, signaling that Berhalter is hoping to reignite the USMNT's attack. It comes as little surprise that Panama have dominated this amtch since Weah's early red card, but Balogun was one of the USMNT's few bright spots today with the goal and the overall performance. There may be some optimism following Pepi, though, after he took four shots in target in 25 minutes against Bolivia on Sunday.
69' The USMNT post their first shot since the 38th minute, with Pulisic and Balogun combining well to take a shot. Balogun makes an important run and shoots the ball towards his right, where Pulisic is making a smart run. He's a little bit short, though, and so the ball rolls out of play.
64' After a check by both the VAR and the center official, the latter sees there's no contact from Carter-Vickers, rules that Fajardo dove and so there's no spotkick for Panama. It was a silly thing for Carter-Vickers to do and he's lucky he gets away with it this time.
61' Carter-Vickers and Fajardo are involved in another incident, this time with the USMNT defender lunging at the Panama player. The referee quickly points to the spot but, on trend for this match, there's a VAR check first and the referee heads to the monitor.
57' The referee asks the VAR to check a peanlty call on Carter-Vickers and there's a little bit of contact between him and Fajardo after the Panama player nutmegs his American counterpart, but it was a fairly simple check and play resumes without a spotkick.
50' Farina takes a shot from distance for Panama and Horvath keeps things simple and makes a routine save. It's the USMNT's first save of the night -- Turner didn't make a single one in the first half -- and is good news for Horvath, who is starting to get a feel of the game during a very important second half.
The USMNT are back in action with a triple sub for the second half -- Horvath is in for the injured Turner, while Carter-Vickers and Cardoso come on for Adams and Reyna. Looks like the U.S. are switching to a 5-3-1 with a bonus defender and a thinner midfield.
This isn't the first time Horvath has had to fill in on a big occasion -- he subbed in during the 2021 Concacaf Nations League final against Mexico, when then-starter Zack Steffen picked up a knee injury in the second half. Horvath went on to be a hero during the USMNT's win, stopping a peanlty.
There's still time before the teams return from the halftime break but there might not be good news regarding Turner, who spent a couple of minutes on the ground needing treatment after a collision in the first half. Horvath, the U.S.' second choice goalkeeper, is spending the break warming up, suggesting that Turner might not be at 100%.
Well, that was an entertaining half! The USMNT have experienced some lows -- Weah's red card -- and some highs -- Balogun's goal -- but it's all even at the break in a half that was ultimately fairly cagey. The USMNT will have plenty to prove in this second half as they try to rise above the challenge of playing down to 10 against a very competitive opponent.
32' Robinson fouls Martinez and gets a yellow for it while the Panama player remains on the ground for treatment. It feels like the USMNT are not handling the physicality of this game very well at all -- and this may not help recent criticism of this iteration of the team that they are not able to handle matchups like this one.
25' And there's Panama's quick response. The USMNT turn it over and Blackman's able to pounce quickly, catching Turner off guard before he can reset and after an impressive strike, the game's level. A quick VAR check for a foul isn't enough to cancel this one out.
20' And just like that, the USMNT have their lead. Robinson makes a run down the left and with a quick back-and-forth with Balogun, Balogun's the one with a stellar, one-time hit with his weaker left foot and gives the U.S. a 1-0 lead just a few minutes after going down to 10. It's Balogun's second left-footed shot of the tournament and really bolsters his argument as the team's starting striker, a position that's been up for grabs for quite a while.
16' Weah's foul on Miller is upgraded from yellow to red after a very quick trip to the monitor for the referee. The USMNT will play down to 10 for the rest of the game and a formation change is coming -- head coach Berhalter is switching to a 4-4-1, allowing Balogun to play as a lone striker as Reyna moves to the wing. It's a silly move from Weah, who loses his cool despite the familiarity of the opponent.
13' After some treatment on his left leg, Turner is back up and playing but there's another stoppage in play because Weah is called for a foul on Miller. Weah's booked for the first time this tournament but the referee is now going to the montior to see if it's any worse.
10' Panama have another look at goal and Blackman goes up for the chance but is way too close to Turner and cleans him out, sending the U.S. goalkeeper straight to the ground. He's being treated now but Horvath is currently warming up on the side as Ream overlooks Turner.
5' The USMNT appear to score another early goal in this competition, this time courtesy of McKennie. The team earn a freekick a few yards from the penalty area, which Pulisic expertly takes. Richards heads it first but goalkeeper Mosquera makes a save, and then the ball hits the post. Ream gets a touch before McKennie's powerful strike lands in the back of the net. After a VAR check, though, it is concluded that Ream's offisde and so the goal doesn't stand.
2' Panama play a long ball over the top and with no pressure on them, go for goal. It's Barcenas who takes the shot in the end and he's close to scoring the game's opening goal but he sends the ball just over the net.
TThe game is underway and we already have our first foul, with Adams perhaps setting the tone for a physical match.
Anthems are beginning and the USMNT are ready to book their spot in the Copa America knockouts
Pulisic will again lead the USMNT to victory with a goal and an assist but Matt Turner will actually be tested in net by Panama. Pick: United States 2, Panama 1
Today's XI averages 23 caps in official competitions which is the highest number ever. This is also the first time that Berhalter has started the same XI in back to back matches since the 2021 Gold Cup. That experience and consistency should pay dividends tonight.
Tens of thousands are expected to fill Mercedes Benz Arena, which seats up to 71,000 people, which creates a traffic situation on its own. Things will be worse than usual, though, because the Copa America clash isn't the only major televised event in Atlanta today. The presidential debate is taking place three hours later and barely three miles away, and though there will be no crowd in attendance at CNN's Atlanta studio, major traffic closures are expected.
The Atlanta Police Department has already warned people to avoid driving around the city if they can help it, encouraging them to instead use public transportation and rideshare services. We'll see if this creates an attendance issue at today's game, with fans trickling in later than expected.
Michael Murillo is such an important player for Panama as he provides an outlet for Panama to play through. If they can get possession, Murillo will already be flying forward to be an outlet, and having played in MLS, he is familiar with some members of the USMNT. While the focus is on Adalberto Carrasquilla, being able to cut off his outlets is just as important.
USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi was once viewed as the savior at the No. 9 position. After getting left off the 2022 World Cup roster due to a lack of form, he's back in the fold but missed numerous great chances in the opener against Bolivia. He needs a strong outing in this one to really push Folarin Balogun, but will Gregg Berhalter give him the minutes?
