Comeback Kids Fall Short: US Loses to Panama in Gold Cup

In the second game of Gold Cup play for the United States, the stage was set for them to get the victory and be able to rest some of their stars for the final game of group play before the quarterfinals. Except, things didn't go as planned.  

The first five minutes were dominated by Panama, as they were able to get some good pace on the counter attack.  As the game progressed, it was evident Panama had the upper hand.

In the 19th minute, the Panamanians finally broke through with a goal by Luis Tejada. Tim Howard made an initial save, but Tejada pounced on the loose goal as the American defense failed to clear the ball.  

Things only got worse.  Less than 20 minutes later, a bad challenge by Tim Ream led to a conversion by Gabriel Gomez.  Panama led 2-0 at the break.  

In the second half, things felt more balanced, with the Americans creating more chances.  In the early stages of the second half, two more Americans, Bedoya and Goodson, got booked and brought the total yellow carded Americans to four.

Then in the 68th minute, the Americans finally capitalized as Clarence Goodson scored a goal on a free kick, after a great flick by Michael Bradley.  The Americans pressed the tempo for the remainder of the game, but missed two golden opportunities and failed to steal a point.

The referee played a big part in this match, being very lenient in most cases, but on two or three occasions issues unwarranted yellow cards.

He made a huge decision in not giving Goodson the appeal for a penalty (he even booked for diving) and upon looking at the replay, it looked to be the right one.  

Dempsey and Donovan, the US' two best attacking players, struggled to get into the game, but when they finally found their rhythm, all the other United States players seemed to, also.  

The US looked deserving of getting the three points in the latter stages of the game, but playing as the comeback kids isn't going to always get them results, especially against the best teams in the world that they would face in the Confederations Cup.  They need to control the ball and have creativity the entire game.  

Early goals have killed them, and the pairing of Ream and Goodson really struggled, especially with long balls.  It will take time for them to learn how to communicate and become the great center backs the US need.

The counter attack and low line of Panama really gave the US problems.  Baloy was a great, physical defender for Panama, exactly what the US has been missing since Oguchi Onyewu has not appeared at this competition.  

This loss was huge for the United States, as now they have to play a very strong team against Guadeloupe, and while unlikely, even a draw could knock them out of the Gold Cup if other results don't go their way.

If they get a win, however, and Panama loses, depending on goal differential, the US could win their group.  This is extremely important, as in a worst-case scenario they could end up playing Mexico, but in best case, a team like Guatemala or El Salvador.

Although this is a setback for the USMNT, hopefully they learn from this game and continue their path to the Gold Cup final.