A primary-half purple card to Timothy Weah and an damage to goalkeeper Matt Turner proved an excessive amount of for america to beat in a 2-1 loss to Panama on the Copa América on Thursday in Atlanta.
José Fajardo scored the decisive objective within the 83rd minute for Panama after a wild scramble in entrance of the U.S. objective, and Adalberto Carrasquilla was additionally despatched off for a reckless sort out on Christian Pulisic in a sport that left each groups on three factors after two video games.
A chaotic opening 20 minutes noticed the U.S. seemingly take the lead by means of Weston McKennie, just for the objective to be dominated out for offside, earlier than Weah was despatched off with a straight purple card for hitting Panama’s Roderick Miller within the head, a choice met by groans by the pro-American crowd of 59,145 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Regardless of dropping a person, the U.S. took the lead shortly after Weah’s dismissal when Folarin Balogun scored with a chic left-footed strike from distance.
Panama hit proper again, although, because the ball fell kindly to César Blackman on the high of the realm and his low shot took a slight deflection and beat Turner to make it 1-1.
Ethan Horvath got here on for Turner at halftime, because the U.S. No. 1 couldn’t proceed after being on the receiving finish of a tough foul within the first half. The Cardiff Metropolis keeper was instantly examined with a swerving knuckleball that he parried away to maintain the rating stage.
The U.S. benefited from a VAR name halfway by means of the second half after Cameron Carter-Vickers was whistled for a penalty within the space, however the name was overturned following a video evaluate and the rating stayed stage.
In all, there have been 5 yellow playing cards and two reds given over the course of the match.
The People’ probabilities to advance come all the way down to their remaining sport in opposition to Uruguay on Monday, the place they are going to probably want a win to achieve the quarterfinals. Panama performs Bolívia, a crew with 13 straight Copa América losses, on the identical day.
Weah was despatched off by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton with a straight purple for punching Miller behind the top after two different calls went in opposition to the host nation.
This got here after Chris Richards’ header from Pulisic’s nook kick was deflected off the crossbar by goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, and a video evaluate decided Tim Ream was offside when he poked to McKennie, who put the ball in from close to the penalty spot.
Blackman didn’t obtain a card when he collided within the twelfth minute with a leaping Turner, who landed awkwardly on his proper arm and was down for a number of minutes whereas being tended to by medical personnel.
Balogun scored after a sloppy clearance. Antonee Robinson dribbled into the penalty space and handed to the striker. Balogun exchanged faucets with Robinson and curled a shot from the sting of the realm off the within of the far submit and in for his fifth objective in 14 appearances.
Blackman tied the rating within the twenty sixth when he took a go from Carrasquilla on the arc, dribbled round Robinson and shot by means of the legs of Richards and simply previous Turner’s outstretched arm.
Gregg Berhalter made three substitutions to start out the second half, together with the one for Turner that introduced in Horvath for his first sport for membership or nation since Might 4.
Failure to advance from the largest check for the People forward of the 2026 World Cup will increase questions on whether or not coach Berhalter ought to stay in cost.
Data from The Related Press was used on this story.