A goal called back. An 18th-minute red card. A brilliant goal. An equalizer. A goalkeeper substitution. A penalty whistled, then called back. A devastating goal given up in the final minutes of the game. Another red card.
Thursday night’s Copa América contest between the U.S. men’s national team and Panama was not lacking for drama.
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The U.S. went into the night hoping they would get a win against their CONCACAF rivals and secure passage through to the knockout stages. Instead, they had to survive almost the whole night playing a man down, then suffered a final blow in the 83rd minute on a Jose Fajardo goal that gave Panama a 2-1 win.
The result puts the U.S.’s Copa América on life support as they prepare to close out the group against Uruguay on Monday in Kansas City.
What happened?
Deep breath! Here’s the rundown…
- 4′: Weston McKennie goal ruled out after video assistant referee (VAR) review. Tim Ream was offside in the build up.
- 12′: USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner knocked to the ground after challenge from Cesar Blackman.
- 18’: Tim Weah sent off for striking Roderick Miller. U.S. down to 10 men.
- 21’: Folarin Balogun curls home from edge of box to put U.S. 1-0 up.
- 26’: Blackman makes it 1-1 with a left-foot strike.
- 45′: Turner is replaced in the U.S. goal by Ethan Horvath as part of a triple substitution by Gregg Berhalter.
- 65’: Panama awarded penalty after Cameron Carter-Vickers lunge. Overturned after another VAR.
- 83’: Jose Fajardo scores half-volley to give Panama a 2-1 lead.
- 88’: Adalberto Carrasquilla sent off for Panama after challenge on Christian Pulisic.
What were the implications of Tim Weah’s red card?
Weah lost his cool away from the ball and hit Panama’s Roderick Miller in the back of the head. The result, after a VAR review, was a straight red card. It immediately changed the scope of the game and the challenge for the U.S.
The off-ball shove was very unlike Weah. It was the second red card of his career, with the only other one coming in March 2022 with Lille for a tackle that landed him a two-game suspension.
“He spoke to the group. I’ll speak to him, but I think he knows the implications of that and he knows he made a mistake,” Berhalter said. “He’s an ultimate team player. He stood up and he took accountability for it right away and we’ll move on.”
U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter had to make some adjustments at halftime to try to see the game out. Matt Turner was subbed off due to injury, with Ethan Horvath coming in, but Berhalter also called on Cameron Carter-Vickers to replace Gio Reyna, and Johnny Cardoso for Tyler Adams, as he moved to a 5-3-1 formation that mostly conceded possession and tried to stay in organized defensive lines to see out the result.
Weah will now miss the group finale against Uruguay, and winger is one of the thinnest positions for the USMNT.
Paul Tenorio
Did the U.S. have better chances?
An expected goals (or xG) step plot helps to illustrate the balance of each team’s chances created and the shots that transpired, estimating the likelihood of a shot resulting in a goal based on a myriad of factors. Throughout the game, the United States actually accumulated a greater total share of xG, edging Panama 1.11-0.74, suggesting they created a better bulk of chances. For example, both first-half goals came on low xG opportunities, a sign of good finishes by Blackman and Balogun.
The most significant chance of the game came in the second half, when a looping cross from Weston McKennie found a backpedaling Ricardo Pepi in the box for a header — registering 0.61 xG. However, the off-balance nature of his attempt made it an easy save for the goalkeeper.
Of course, the game is decided by actual goals and not the expected ones. One hundred and 21 seconds seconds after Pepi’s header, Jose Fajardo put the game away — on a shot that proved to be Panama’s best chance of the night based on xG.
Jeff Rueter
Balogun’s banger
Sometimes, all a struggling striker needs is one goal to get back on track.
After a difficult first season with AS Monaco, Folarin Balogun had a difficult set of performances in the tune-up friendlies, and was largely ineffective throughout his shift against Bolivia. He did, however, manage to make one crucial touch — a prod through a defender’s legs that gave the USMNT an insurance goal.
Four days later, he found the back of the net for a second consecutive game, although this one brought far more of an aesthetic approach than his last.
BALOOOOOOGUN!!!! 🇺🇸🚀
What a BEAUTY for the @USMNT to take the lead 🖼️✨ pic.twitter.com/Q0qqKR6Epp
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2024
Already playing down a man, Balogun initiated a give-and-go with Antonee Robinson at the edge of the box. The build-up didn’t quite follow the intended plan, as Balogun’s second pass back to his left back caught Robinson’s heel. Fortunately, it went right back to the striker, who took advantage of some rare space from defenders to curl a shot to the far post and rejuvenate hope among the USMNT and its fans.
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After struggling to find the ball against Bolivia, Balogun was far more involved. In the time between Weah’s dismissal and Berhalter’s halftime triple substitution, only two players logged more touches than Balgoun’s 14. He showed enough defensive industry to remain on the field to start the second half — even though both Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent are known for their pressing acumen along the front line.
After the changes, however, Balogun understandably struggled to make an impact. He was a worthy running mate with Pulisic for any counter attacks, and sent a rare shot from a tough angle just wide of the post before the 70th minute. Soon afterwards, he was replaced by Pepi to get a fresh spear for the front-line press. Balogun left the pitch to considerable ovation — a worthy reward from a fanbase who has long been begging for a clinical forward like Balogun is becoming.
Jeff Rueter
Why did Matt Turner leave the match?
Turner is the USMNT’s Mr. Dependable. Firmly first-choice, the 30-year-old has started every game in competitive tournament football for his county since the 2022 World Cup.
He may have had a tough year at Nottingham Forest, where he lost his place last season and was benched for the Premier League club’s last 16 games of the campaign, but on the international stage the gloves are his.
It’s why hearts were in mouths the moment Panama’s Cesar Blackman wiped Turner out in the 12th minute of a fractious first-half in Atlanta.
The New Jersey-native landed heavily on his right shoulder and stayed down. It looked painful although the medical attention seemed to focus on his knee.
That could partly explain why 10 minutes later he was a vital half-second slow getting across to Blackman’s strike that squeezed inside his right post.
Turner, who hasn’t been injured since fracturing his foot in April 2022, has kept 25 clean sheets in 42 games for the U.S. and is one of the group’s leaders. If he is now to miss the crucial Group C game against Uruguay it will be a major headache for Berhalter.
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Ethan Horvath is an experienced deputy but should have done better with Panama’s second goal. Turner is No. 1 for a reason — a tough task against Darwin Nunez and Uruguay just got potentially tougher.
Greg O’Keeffe
How does this result change the complexion of the group?
Entering the tournament, this matchup looked like it would be the most pivotal of any in Group C. Bolivia was the favorable opponent to build momentum. Uruguay always figured to be the favorite of the quartet. Whoever won this game then figured to be on firmer footing to advance to the quarterfinal — and, after a series of unfortunate events from a USMNT perspective, that’s Panama’s foothold to own.
GO DEEPER
Who has qualified for Copa America knockout stage - and who is out?
Regardless of what transpires when Uruguay faces Bolivia later tonight, the United States almost certainly needs to get a result from its group stage finale to extend its tournament beyond the group stage. In all honesty, they may need a win to pull off the great escape. Panama will fancy its chances of logging a win against Bolivia, and six points would certainly see them through.
All told, this will go down as a shocking defeat under unusual circumstances. One can only wonder how differently this group and the USMNT’s tournament as a whole could have gone if Weah hadn’t thrown his arm at the back of an opponent’s head.
Jeff Rueter
What did the managers say?
U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter on group stage finale: “Well, that’s what we want to do but pressure is part of what we sign up for. That’s part of this job; representing the national team is a tremendous honor and there’s a lot of expectations that come along with it. Today, it was an extremely disappointing result, but the effort was there. If we put in the same type of effort in this game, in terms of the work effort and togetherness, we’ll have a shot to beat Uruguay. We know it’s going to be difficult, but we’re going to do our best.”
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Berhalter on the team’s performance: “I can’t fault the effort of the group, especially after going down the man. The guys dug in, and we were close to coming out with a point. But you know, it’s a shame because there was more in this game. A silly decision by Timmy (Weah) that leaves us shorthanded. Then you have the whole thing that’s moving with the referee throughout the game. It led to some strange, strange circumstances, for sure.”
Berhalter on his job’s security: “I have a hard time understanding the question. I think you mean, if we don’t qualify from the next match, should my job be on the line? (Yes.) That’s not for me to determine.”
What’s next for the teams?
U.S. vs. Uruguay — Monday, July 1, 9:00 p.m. ET (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO)
Bolivia vs. Panama — Monday, July 1, 9:00 p.m. ET (Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, FL)
Required reading
- Are the USMNT out of Copa America? Permutations after Panama defeat
- Why Copa America is being played on small fields — and what it means
- Copa America 2024 bracket: Who has qualified for knockout stage — and who is out?
- How Puma is taking on Nike and Adidas at Copa America
- ‘Where on earth are we?’: The story of the USMNT at the 1995 Copa America
(Top photo: EDUARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)