The USMNT's Gold Cup run is over as a lethargic performance culminated in a surprise shootout loss to unfancied Panama at the semifinal stage.
And just like that, it's all over. Another long, drawn-out 120-minute brawl has confirmed the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup exit. There will be no repeat win, no second trophy of the summer. They survived one shootout, but couldn't emerge from another.
Live by the shootout, die by the shootout, indeed. After toppling Canada in the quarterfinal, the U.S. faltered from the spot in the semis, with Panama booking their place in the Gold Cup final after a 1-1 draw. Jesus Ferreira and Cristian Roldan misses proved costly as the tournament ends in frustration for the U.S. team.
Panama deserved the win. They were just as good, if not better, than the USMNT throughout the 120 minutes. The U.S. looked like a team that had been taken to extra time against Canada, using up any little bit of energy they had left. They looked lethargic and slow and just a bit off it, and that was all Panama needed.
Los Canaleros deserved a few goals, to be fair. The U.S. were bailed out by tight refereeing decisions several times before Panama attacker Ivan Anderson beat the offside trap and burst in alone on Matt Turner after 99 minutes, scoring what had looked like the winner.
Ferreira, though, seemingly saved the day with an absolutely stunning equalizer moments later. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it finish, as he volleyed home from out of nowhere to send the U.S. to the shootout.
Even so, it wasn't to be, and it was a disappointing end for the USMNT, with Wednesday night's performance not one of a team that deserved to go on and win the tournament. The run is over, and rightfully so. This U.S. team, ultimately, fell short.
GOAL rates the USMNT from Snapdragon Stadium…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defense
Matt Turner (7/10):
Had two saves to make, one of which was pretty special. Not much he could do on the goal, even if goalkeepers never like being rounded like that.
DeJuan Jones (6/10):
Definitely had more to do defensively in this one than in any other game, and he was largely fine with that. Passing could have been better, but not a bad game.
Aaron Long (6/10):
Had a few solid sequences, including one tackle in the second half that saw him pick up a knock. No glaring errors, but also never seemed too confident with or without the ball.
Miles Robinson (5/10):
An uncharacteristic performance from Robinson, who definitely struggled at times in this one. His pace is an asset, and it helped him make several good tackles, but the awareness just wasn't there during several big sequences.
Bryan Reynolds (5/10):
Looked like the Canada game really wore him out. His legs just seemed a bit too heavy for this one – and his positioning didn't help either. Was rightly subbed out early in the second half.
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James Sands (8/10):
Just fantastic once again. No USMNT player has been as good as Sands, and he put together another standout performance in this one.
Gianluca Busio (5/10):
Had one big chance for the USMNT in extra time but he slipped over. A metaphor for a tough night for the Venezia midfielder, who never really impacted the game in a positive way as Panama dominated the midfield battle.
Djordje Mihailovic (5/10):
Set-piece delivery was nowhere near good enough and he didn't offer enough defensively to help the U.S. in the midfield.
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Cade Cowell (6/10):
Had a few good dribbling sequences, as usual, but nothing close to good enough when it came to end product. He did hit the post early on but those types of sequences were few and far between, which is what led to him being one of the first subbed off.
Brandon Vazquez (5/10):
Basically the exact opposite of his other appearances this tournament. Was asked to defend a bunch and, when the U.S. did get going in the attack, his touch often let him down.
Jesus Ferreira (7/10):
What a goal. An absolute thunderbolt out of nothing, a sudden firework in an otherwise quiet game. Playing in a different position this time around, Ferreira was relentless with his pressing and, ultimately, got his goal. Unfortunately, his penalty wasn't good enough as the U.S. lost the shootout.
GettySubs & Manager
Cristian Roldan (6/10):
Replaced Cowell, but offered none of the same energy as the teenage star. His missed penalty doomed the U.S. to defeat.
DeAndre Yedlin (5/10):
Provided an instant lift once he came on, but was at fault for the goal as he didn't step up in time to keep Anderson offside.
Matt Miazga (6/10):
Stepped up at the worst possible time for the Panama goal, but did contribute to the sequence leading up to Ferriera's equalizer His antics during the shootout will be held against him, too, as he may have gone a bit too far to get in Panama's heads.
Jordan Morris (7/10):
Won the header to tee up Ferreira, and what a header it was! Wasn't wildly active other than that, but he stepped up in the big moment.
John Tolkin (6/10):
Definitely provided energy, and had his lip bloodied in the process. Was pretty noticeable, which is basically all you can ask for from a 104th-minute sub.
Julian Gressel (N/A):
Had just a handful of touches. Not enough to really make anything happen.
B.J. Callaghan (6/10):
Made some good in-game adjustments after a pretty bad first half. Did he wait a bit too long for other subs? Possibly. Because of that, a bit of a mixed bag and ultimately the U.S. are out of the tournament earlier than expected.