"Panama Triumphs Over USMNT in Dramatic Penalty Shootout: 2023 Gold Cup Semifinal Recap""Seventh Goal by Jesús Ferreira Leads USMNT to Penalty Shootout; Team Makes History with Consecutive Matches Heading to Penalties"

 

USMNT's Gold Cup Dreams Shattered by Panama in Penalty Shootout

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (July 12, 2023) - The U.S. Men's National Team's hopes of clinching the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup were dashed as they succumbed to Panama in a tense penalty shootout, ending the match with a 1-1 draw. The grueling encounter marked the second consecutive game in which the USMNT went to penalties, a first in the team's history. The heartbreaking loss occurred in front of a passionate crowd of 31,690 at Snapdragon Stadium.

Forward Jesús Ferreria, a standout player throughout the tournament, scored his seventh goal of the competition, maintaining his status as the tournament's leading goal-scorer. However, his heroic efforts weren't enough to secure victory for the USMNT.

This semifinal clash marked the 12th meeting between the United States and Panama in the history of the Gold Cup, with Panama emerging victorious only for the second time in the tournament's history. Panama now moves on to the final, where they will face either Jamaica or Mexico, who will compete in the other semifinal on Wednesday. The Gold Cup Final is set to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 16.

Right from the start of the game, the USMNT displayed an attacking mindset. Within the opening minute, forward Brandon Vazquez capitalized on a defensive error by Panama, setting up a scoring opportunity. Young talent Cade Cowell, making his second tournament start, came close to scoring as his powerful right-footed strike rattled the base of the post from the edge of the penalty area.

Despite the disappointment, the USMNT fought valiantly throughout the match and should be commended for their spirited performance in the face of adversity.

Panama Dominates First Half as USMNT Fights for Survival

In the initial stages of the match, Panama took control of possession and launched relentless attacks. Forward Ismael Diaz, who displayed his goal-scoring prowess with a hat trick in the quarterfinal against Qatar, posed a threat to the U.S. defense. In the 12th minute, Diaz unleashed a quick snapshot from a tight angle, forcing goalkeeper Matt Turner to make a composed save.

Panama continued to press forward, and midfielder Yoel Bárcenas appeared to have found the back of Turner's net with a close-range volley in the 29th minute. However, the assistant referee's flag signaled the offside, disallowing the goal. The USMNT defense faced another scare in the 43rd minute when a miscleared ball from defender DeJuan Jones led to a scramble, requiring Turner to come off his line and deny Diaz a free header near the penalty spot.

The second half started similarly, with the USMNT creating a promising opportunity. In the 52nd minute, a brilliant display of skill by Cowell on the right side of the penalty area unlocked Panama's defense, resulting in a cross across the goal mouth. Unfortunately for the U.S., Vazquez, making his first start in the 2023 Gold Cup, sent his strike over the bar while dealing with an awkwardly elevated pass.

Panama responded swiftly with a dangerous attack of their own. A sharp cross from the right was met with a headed attempt by Diaz, but Turner, showcasing his agility, made his second crucial save of the game by diving to tip the bouncing ball over the bar for a corner kick.

As the match progressed beyond the hour mark, both teams pushed for a breakthrough. In the 65th minute, the USMNT orchestrated a sweeping move that started with Turner and saw midfielder Gianluca Busio surging forward with the ball through the middle. A low cross from substitute DeAndre Yedlin found tournament-leading scorer Ferreira, but the striker narrowly missed the target as his shot sailed wide of the far post. In the dying seconds of regulation, both teams had opportunities to secure victory, but neither could find the decisive finish, leading the U.S. to face yet another exhausting period of extra time.

USMNT Battles Fatigue in Extra Time, Falls to Panama in Penalty Shootout

As the USMNT entered the first period of extra time with a day less rest than their opponents, signs of fatigue became evident. Panama capitalized on this vulnerability, taking the lead in the 99th minute. Defender Ivan Anderson, who had timed his run perfectly, snuck behind the U.S. defense and scored his first international goal. Although goalkeeper Matt Turner rushed off his line to intervene, Anderson's quickness allowed him to find the back of the net.

However, Panama's advantage was short-lived. In the 105th minute, second-half substitute Jordan Morris rose to meet a long ball and headed it down into the penalty area. With lightning reflexes, Jesús Ferreira reacted swiftly, volleying the ball into the goal off his shin in the dying seconds of the period. This crucial goal marked Ferreira's seventh of the tournament, equalling Clint Dempsey's record set in 2015 for the most goals scored by a U.S. player in a single edition of the confederation championship.

With the match ending in a 1-1 draw after extra time, the USMNT found themselves in a shootout for the second consecutive match, a first in the team's history. Unfortunately, Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera saved Ferreira's first penalty attempt. Although Turner managed to stop Cristian Martínez's effort, a saved kick from substitute Cristian Roldan presented an opportunity for Panama to secure victory. Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla sealed the win with a well-placed strike in the shootout's sixth round.

Despite the disappointment, the USMNT exhibited tremendous resilience and fought valiantly until the very end. Their journey in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup came to an end, but they can be proud of their performances throughout the tournament.

GOAL SCORING SUMMARY:

PAN - Ivan Anderson (Adalberto Carrasquilla), 99th minute: In a stretched game during extra time, Anderson capitalized on his perfectly timed run to stay onside. He beat Matt Turner to the ball and calmly slotted it into an empty net, scoring his first goal for Panama. USA 0, PAN 1.

USA - Jesus Ferreira (Jordan Morris), 105th minute: Jordan Morris provided a long, hopeful ball from deep in midfield. Rising above the defenders, he headed the ball down into the path of Ferreira. With a superb curling volley, Ferreira found the far corner of the net, securing his seventh goal of the Gold Cup and 15th of his USMNT career. USA 1, PAN 1.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

- The USMNT made history by playing back-to-back matches with extra time sessions and shootouts for the first time ever.

- Jesús Ferreira's goal in the 105th minute was his seventh of the 2023 Gold Cup, matching Clint Dempsey's record for the most goals scored by a U.S. player in a single edition of the tournament.

- Ferreira's international goal tally reached 15, tying him with Cobi Jones for 14th place on the USMNT's all-time scoring list.

- The goal also marked Ferreira's 12th goal in official competition, placing him tied with Michael Bradley for 10th among USMNT players in competitive matches.

- Jordan Morris provided the assist on Ferreira's goal, his ninth career assist and first since November 15, 2019.

- Matt Turner's appearance in the match marked his 10th in the Gold Cup, tying him with Tony Meola for third among U.S. goalkeepers in the tournament's history. He also made his eighth appearance in a knockout round match, surpassing Meola to claim sole possession of third place among USMNT goalkeepers.

Turner’s stop on Cristian Martinez in the shootout was his fifth penalty kick save for the USMNT. He has two during regular time and three in shootouts.

James Sands became the sixth player to appear in 11 consecutive Gold Cup matches for the USMNT. A substitute in his tournament debut against Haiti on July 11, 2021, the midfielder has started each of his last 10 Gold Cup appearances.

With an average age of 24 years, 202 days, tonight’s Starting XI was the seventh youngest the USMNT has utilized in a knockout round match. The team’s 10 youngest knockout round lineups have all been deployed since 2021.

The lineup also averaged 16 caps and 11 appearances in official competition.

Brandon Vazquez earned his first Gold Cup start in his hometown of San Diego.

Cade Cowell (19 years, 271 days) became the fourth youngest player to start a Gold Cup Knockout Round match for the USMNT. He follows Juan Agudelo (18 years, 211 days; June 22, 2011 vs. Panama), Gianluca Busio (19 years, 58 days; July 25, 2021 vs. Jamaica) and George Bello (19 years, 191 days; Aug. 1, 2021 vs. Mexico).

The leading cap-winner in the current player pool, substitute DeAndre Yedlin made his 81st career appearance, tying him with Desmond Armstrong, Thomas Dooley and Tab Ramos for 27th on the USMNT’s all-time caps list.

The USMNT moves to 17-2-7 all-time against Panama. The team is 13-2-7 in official competition and 6-1-5 in Gold Cup play against Los Canaleros.

The USMNT is 29-8-7 all-time in the Gold Cup knockout round and 11-3-2 in Gold Cup semifinal matches.

The USMNT moves to 5-3 in shootouts in official competition.

- U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Panama

Date: July 12, 2023

Competition: 2023 Gold Cup – Semifinal

Venue: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, Calif.

Attendance: 31,690

Kickoff: 7:36 p.m. ET / 4:36 p.m. local

Weather: 78 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F PK

USA 0 0 1 0 1 4

PAN 0 0 1 0 1 5

PAN - Ivan Anderson (Adalberto Carrasquilla) 99th minute

USA – Jesús Ferreira (Jordan Morris) 105

Penalty Kick Summary:

USA – Jesús Ferreira (saved), Djordje Mihailovic (goal), Jordan Morris (goal), Julian Gressel (goal), Matt Miazga (goal), Cristian Roldan (saved)

PAN – Fidel Escobar (goal), Ismael Diaz (goal), Cristian Martinez (saved), Edgar Barcenas (goal), Cecilio Waterman (goal), Adalberto Carrasquilla (goal)

Lineups:

USA: 1-Matt Turner (capt.); 5-Bryan Reynolds (2-DeAndre Yedlin, 63'), 12-Miles Robinson, 3-Aaron Long (4-Matt Miazga, 73'), 15-DeJuan Jones (21-John Tolkin, 104'); 6-Gianluca Busio (22-Julian Gressel, 104'), 8-James Sands, 14-Djordje Mihailovic; 9-Jesús Ferreira, 19-Brandon Vazquez (13-Jordan Morris, 74'), 11-Cade Cowell (10-Cristian Roldan, 63')

Substitutes not used: 18-Sean Johnson, 23-Gabriel Slonina, 17-Alejandro Zendejas, 20-Jalen Neal, 24-Jackson Yueill

Head coach: B.J. Callaghan

PAN: 22-Orlando Mosquera; 4-Fidel Escobar, 3-Harold Cummings, 16-Andres Andrade; 10-Edgar Barcenas, 8-Adalberto Carrasquilla, 20-Anibal Godoy (capt.) (7-Jovani Welch, 102'), 15-Eric Davis (25-Ivan Anderson, 90+1'); 17-Jose Fajardo (6-Cristian Martinez, 79'), 19-Alberto Quintero (18-Cecilio Waterman, 79'), 11-Ismael Diaz

Substitutes not used: 1-Luis Mejia, 12-Cesar Samudio, 5-Roderick Miller, 9-Azarias Londoño, 13-Freddy Gondola, 14-Eduardo Anderson, 21-Cesar Yanis, 24-Omar Valencia

Head coach: Thomas Christiansen

Stats Summary: USA / PAN

Shots: 14 / 12

Shots on Goal: 3 / 5

Saves: 4 / 2

Corner Kicks: 2 / 3

Fouls: 12 / 12

Offside: 1 / 4

Misconduct Summary:

USA – Miles Robinson (caution) - 86th minute

PAN – Anibal Godoy (caution) - 101st minute

Officials:

Referee: Walter Lopez (GUA)

Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales (NCA)

Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)

4th Official: Juan Gabriel Calderon (HON)

VAR: Selvin Brown (CRC)

Bud Light Man of the Match: Jesús Ferr