Panama upsets U.S. on penalty kicks to reach CONCACAF Gold Cup final vs. Mexico
Adalberto Carrasquilla converted the decisive penalty kick after Cristian Roldan failed to convert his attempt, and Panama beat the defending champion United States 5-4 in a shootout after a 1-1 tie on Wednesday night in San Diego to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Mexico.
The championship game will be played Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Iván Anderson scored his first international goal in the ninth minute of extra time, and Jesús Ferreira tied the score for the U.S. six minutes later.
After beating Canada on penalty kicks in Sunday’s quarterfinal, the U.S. went to a second shootout for the first time in a Gold Cup.
Panama reached the final for the third time after losing to the U.S. in 2005 and 2013. Mexico beat Jamaica 3-0 in Las Vegas later Wednesday.
The U.S., a seven-time winner of the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, failed to reach the final for the first time since losing to Jamaica in a 2015 semifinal.
The game marked the finale of B.J. Callaghan, who led the U.S. to five wins, one loss and one draw as the Americans’ second interim coach this year. Gregg Berhalter returns for the Sept. 9 exhibition against Uzbekistan.
American Cade Cowell hit a post about 20 seconds in and that was the closest to a goal until Panama went ahead nine minutes into extra time. Carrasquilla played a through pass to Anderson, who was kept onside by DeAndre Yedlin. Anderson took a touch and played the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Matt Turner, then kicked the ball into the open net for his first international goal.
The Mexican and Jamaican soccer teams haven’t faced each other many times but when they do, my entire Inglewood household comes to a halt.
Ferreira scored six minutes later after Matt Miazga played a long pass to Jordan Morris, who headed the ball into the penalty area. Ferreira volleyed the ball with his right shin from 16 yards past the outstretched left hand of a diving Orlando Mosquera for his 15th international goal, his seventh of the tournament
With the U.S. going first in the shootout, Ferreira was stopped by Mosquera.
Fidel Escobar and Ismael Díaz beat Turner, while Djordje Mihailovic and Morris were successful for the U.S. Turner dove to his left to stop Christian Martínez and Julian Gressel and Miazga converted around Édgar Bárcenas successful kick for Panama, leaving the U.S. ahead 4-3.
Cecilio Waterman tied the score with Panama’s fifth shot, Mosquera dove right to parry Roldan’s attempt and Carrasquilla put his shot inside Turner’s right post.
Mexico 3, Jamaica 0
Henry Martín scored 80 seconds in, Luis Chávez converted a free kick in the 30th minute and Mexico reached its 11th Gold Cup final.
Roberto Alvarado added a goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. El Tri, under interim coach Jaime Lozano, is seeking a ninth Gold Cup title.
Martín scored his ninth international goal and third of the tournament, settling the ball with a touch after Jesús Gallardo’s cross and beating Andre Blake from 8 yards. Luis Romo had scored 51 seconds in during Mexico’s opener, a 4-0 win over Honduras.
Chávez curled a 25-yard free kick to Blake’s upper right corner for his fourth international goal and third of the tournament. Chávez’s first international goal was on a free kick against Saudi Arabia at last year’s World Cup.
Alvarado got his fifth goal when he tapped in a pass from Gallardo.
Mexico won the 2019 title and lost the 2021 final in extra time to the United States at Las Vegas.
