SAN DIEGO, Calif. (July 12, 2023) – The U.S. Men’s National Team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Panama in the semifinals of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of play, leading to a penalty shootout where Panama emerged as the victors with a 5-4 score. This was the first time in the history of the team that they had to face back-to-back penalty shootouts. The defeat marks the end of the USMNT’s journey in this year’s confederation championship, despite forward Jesús Ferreira scoring his seventh goal of the tournament. The game took place at Snapdragon Stadium and attracted a crowd of 31,690 spectators.
This matchup between the USA and Panama was their 12th meeting in the history of the Gold Cup, making Panama the most frequent opponent for the USMNT in this competition. Interestingly, it was only the second time that Panama was able to defeat the USMNT in the tournament. Panama will now face either Jamaica or Mexico in the Gold Cup Final, which will be held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 16.
The USMNT wasted no time in the early stages of the game, as forward Brandon Vazquez made a dangerous pass just one minute into play. Teenage sensation Cade Cowell, who was starting his second game of the tournament, struck the ball off the post with a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area. However, the majority of possession and attacking in the first half belonged to Panama. Ismael Diaz, who scored a hat trick in Panama’s quarterfinal match against Qatar, tested the U.S. defense with a quick snapshot that forced goalkeeper Matt Turner to make a save in the 12th minute. Midfielder Yoel Bárcenas appeared to find the back of the net in the 29th minute, but the assistant referee raised the flag for offside. The first half also saw Turner making another save off a header from Diaz. The score remained 0-0 going into the second half.
The early stages of the second half saw another promising opportunity for the USMNT. Cowell managed to unlock the Panama defense, delivering a cross from the right side of the penalty area in the 52nd minute. However, Vazquez, who was making his first start in the Gold Cup, missed the target with his shot. Panama responded with a sharp cross from the right that was headed goalward by Diaz, but Turner made another excellent save to deny them a goal. As the game progressed, both teams had chances to break the deadlock, but neither were successful, leading to extra time.
The USMNT began to show signs of fatigue in the first period of extra time due to playing with a day less of rest than their opponents. Panama took advantage of this and opened the scoring in the 99th minute, as defender Ivan Anderson scored his first international goal. Turner tried to stop the shot, but Anderson was faster and found the back of the net. However, the USMNT quickly responded with a goal of their own in the 105th minute. Substitute Jordan Morris provided a header into the penalty area, and Ferreira reacted swiftly to volley the ball into the far corner of the net. This goal marked Ferreira’s seventh in the Gold Cup, tying the record set by Clint Dempsey in 2015 for most goals by a U.S. player in a single edition of the tournament.
With the score still tied at 1-1 after extra time, the match went into a penalty shootout – the second consecutive shootout for the USMNT in this tournament, which was a first in their history. Unfortunately, Ferreira’s first penalty was saved by Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera. Although Turner managed to save one of Panama’s penalties, a saved kick from substitute Cristian Roldan allowed Panama to secure the win, with Carrasquilla scoring the decisive penalty in the sixth round of the shootout.
Overall, it was a disappointing result for the USMNT, ending their journey in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. However, they can take pride in the performances of players like Ferreira, who shone throughout the tournament. Panama’s victory sets up an intriguing Final against either Jamaica or Mexico at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. Football fans will be eagerly waiting to see who will claim the title of champions of North and Central America.
