The United States men’s national team’s quest to defend their Gold Cup title came to an end in a thrilling semifinal match against Panama, which concluded in a penalty shootout on Wednesday.
Interim head coach B.J. Callaghan made strategic changes to the USMNT lineup, including starting forwards Brandon Vázquez and Cade Cowell. The duo combined early on, with Cowell’s shot hitting the post, but as the game progressed, Panama began to assert control. Attackers Eric Davis and Ismael Díaz tested the USMNT defense, but failed to create significant scoring opportunities despite their dominance in possession.
In the second half, Callaghan altered the formation to a 4-2-3-1, deploying Cowell, Vázquez, and Djordje Mihailovic in an attacking trio. This adjustment proved fruitful as the USMNT generated more chances. Substitute DeAndre Yedlin injected fresh energy into the team and created a real scoring opportunity, but Jesús Ferreira narrowly missed the target. Although Panama continued to threaten, the match remained goalless after 90 minutes, leading to extra time for the USMNT for the second time in three days, reported by marca.com.
During the additional period, fatigue seemed to affect the USMNT, providing Panama an opportunity to take the lead. Adalberto Carrasquilla played a long ball to Iván Anderson, who capitalized on an error by goalkeeper Matt Turner to score comfortably.
However, the USMNT showed resilience and equalized just six minutes later. Substitute Jordan Morris quickly headed the ball to Ferreira, who calmly finished with a precise shot into the top right corner of the net, leveling the score moments before the halftime break in extra time.
In the final 15 minutes of play, both teams searched for a winning goal, but their offensive struggles continued, leading to a tense penalty shootout.
The USMNT failed to replicate their shootout success from Sunday. Ferreira, the hero of the previous match, saw his penalty saved by Orlando Mosquera. Turner then made a crucial save against Cristian Martínez, leveling the score once sudden death penalties commenced. However, Cristian Roldan’s penalty was stopped by Mosquera, opening the door for Carrasquilla to secure Panama’s place in the final, which he did with composure.
Panama will now compete in their first Gold Cup final since 2013, setting up a highly anticipated showdown against Mexico. Meanwhile, the USMNT’s journey ends, with head coach Gregg Berhalter set to resume his duties for a series of friendlies in September.
