Copa América 2024 Highlights: Panama Upsets United States in Thrilling Match
In a thrilling encounter at the Copa América 2024, Panama clinched a 2-1 victory over the United States on Thursday night, putting the Americans in a precarious position to advance from the group stage.
The match, played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, was marked by a chaotic sequence of events. In the 18th minute, Timothy Weah was shown a red card, leaving the US to play with 10 men for the majority of the game.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Folarin Balogun put the shorthanded US side ahead in the 22nd minute with a thundering strike. However, Panama’s César Blackman equalized in the 26th minute, setting the stage for a tense second half.
“The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, and we’re disappointed with the result, but we’ll regroup and come back stronger for our next match,” said US coach Gregg Berhalter.
In the 83rd minute, José Fajardo beat substitute goalkeeper Ethan Horvath to give Panama a 2-1 lead, which they held onto for the remainder of the match. The game finished with both teams down to 10 men, as Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla was also shown a straight red card in the 88th minute.
The result puts the US in a difficult position, as they will now need to beat 15-time champions Uruguay on Monday in Kansas City to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Panama, who lost to Uruguay 3-1 in their opening match, will face Bolivia in their final group-stage encounter.
This defeat for the US will raise questions about the future of coach Gregg Berhalter, as failure to advance from the Copa América would be a significant setback before the 2026 World Cup, which the US is co-hosting.
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