ATLANTA — The United States males are in a precarious place within the group stage of Copa América 2024 after a 2-1 loss to Panama on Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Individuals will doubtless must defeat Uruguay, their highest-ranked opponent in Group C, on Monday in Kansas Metropolis to advance with out exterior assist.
U.S. captain Christian Pulisic stated that is a struggle his crew is prepared for.
“We have now to go, and now we have to characterize our nation with ardour, pleasure,” Pulisic stated. “We have now to go and play the very best recreation of our lives, and that is it. We need to go, we need to win, and we need to proceed on this competitors.”
Thursday’s recreation in opposition to Panama went awry early for the US when ahead Timothy Weah was despatched off for a jab to the again of an opponent’s head in an incident away from the ball. The Individuals principally scrambled to defend for the next 70-plus minutes.
There was some quick hope, nonetheless. Folarin Balogun put the U.S. forward 4 minutes in a while a chic strike that discovered the highest nook, however Panama equalized by means of César Blackman 4 minutes after that.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter made three adjustments at half-time — together with in internet, with Ethan Horvath changing Matt Turner, who sustained a leg damage sustained early within the first half — and the Individuals sat in and defended in a 5-3-1, enjoying to protect the draw.
The tactic principally labored — till the 83rd minute, when second-half substitute José Fajardo beat U.S. defender Cameron Carter-Vickers — considered one of Berhalter’s half-time subs to shift to a five-back — to a ball six yards from purpose.
“It is down to at least one second,” Berhalter stated of the USMNT’s second-half efficiency. “While you take a look at the stats, you take a look at the possibilities that we gave up, it was actually solely that one second. The man will get an open look, and we did not cope with the primary ball very effectively, we did not cope with the second ball very effectively, after which [there’s] an excessive amount of area between our center-backs on the cross.
“However apart from that, we’re speaking about very, little or no manufacturing from Panama and actually an incredible effort by the fellows that did get in there, work for one another, preserve our form, and preserve shifting.”
Panama was decreased to 10 gamers within the 88th minute when Adalberto Carrasquilla was despatched off for a reckless problem on Pulisic that triggered a shoving match and gave the Individuals a free kick in a harmful place. Panama dedicated 19 of the 23 complete fouls within the match, and acquired three of the 5 yellow playing cards.
Amongst these fouls was a tough problem on Turner within the twelfth minute that concerned a lower-body collision earlier than Turner fell awkwardly on his shoulder. Berhalter stated at one level after the match that he was “not gonna chunk on that dialog” about middle official Ivan Barton, however the U.S. coach expressed confoundment that there wasn’t a yellow card issued to Panama on the play that finally damage his No 1 keeper.
“We talked beforehand concerning the tendencies of this referee, and we knew what he is able to and to be sincere I believe we performed proper into his fingers,” Berhalter stated.
Turner declined to talk to media postgame aside from to say he was OK as he walked by gingerly. Berhalter stated Turner can be assessed by the medical crew later Thursday evening.
The USMNT misplaced to Panama in a penalty shootout in final yr’s Gold Cup semifinal — albeit with a MLS-heavy facet — and in addition misplaced away in World Cup qualifying in 2021. Thursday’s loss to Panama was the primary on U.S. soil for the reason that 2011 Gold Cup group stage.
The final time the U.S. misplaced a aggressive match on residence soil after scoring first was additionally on the 2011 Gold Cup, within the ultimate in opposition to Mexico.
After the sport, USMNT gamers unanimously acknowledged the plain: Weah’s early purple card modified the sport. In addition they stated Weah owned his mistake and that he would be taught from it. (Event rules prevented Weah from being accessible to media postgame.)
Midfielder Tyler Adams, who began and performed the primary half once more for his first back-to-back begins for the reason that 2022 World Cup, stated the loss was a studying expertise for the squad.
“You possibly can take loads from that recreation,” Adams stated. “That was an amazing expertise for us, and I believe we’ll most likely take a look at that recreation as type of a duplicate of what we will face going into this one. Clearly, Uruguay is an excellent crew. We all know we will have to be at our greatest, however on the finish of the day we are able to compete when now we have 11 gamers on the sector. It may be a totally completely different recreation.”
Uruguay is just not mathematically a must-win for the USMNT, however something wanting victory ought to make advancing to the knockout stage tough and doubtlessly not possible. The U.S. would wish assist from the opposite group recreation in that situation. Panama sits degree on factors (3) with the U.S. within the group heading into the ultimate matchday, however has an inferior purpose distinction.
Panama shall be favored in opposition to a BolÃvia crew that hasn’t gained exterior of residence soil in 9 years, and a victory for Panama would pressure the U.S. to defeat Uruguay.
“I do not really feel strain for it,” Pulisic stated. “[It’s] identical to each recreation. If a win in opposition to Uruguay is what we want, then that is what now we have to go do. We’re privileged to be on this place and have this chance to characterize our nation. I really feel fortunate to enter video games like that, so I am excited for it.”