By Tommy Kane

Published: June 27th, 2019

*This is the 100th article in the All-American Eagle’s history*

The United States Men’s National Team defeated Panama, 1-0, in the final match of the 2019 Gold Cup group stage. The game took place on Jun. 26, 2019, in Kansas City, MO.

Both the U.S. and Panama had won both their games coming into the bout, meaning that both teams were going to advance to the Quarterfinals out of Group D. The result of the match strictly determined who would win the group, which was the United States. Not only did the U.S. win Group D, but they also went a perfect 3-0 and conceded no goals, being the only team to do so in the 2019 Gold Cup.

For the Americans, head coach, Gregg Berhalter, decided to make a wholesale change and start eleven different players. This was most likely a result of already advancing no matter the score, and resting the key starters.

Lone Goal for Altidore

The Americans started off the game well, despite having all subs in. That didn’t last long though, as the play became sloppy and the States were giving up opportunities to the Panamanians. Bad passes and touches became frequent.

It looked like Panama was moving much quicker than the U.S., by beating them on the back-end of plays and getting chances around the net.

Towards the end of the first half, the Americans picked up the pace and looked to get a goal before the half ended. The chances were there, but the ball just was not getting to the net. Jozy Altidore had one good shot during the first, but it was an easy save for Panamanian goalie, Jose Calderon.

The second half started and through the first two games, the U.S. has scored the majority of their goals in the second half of play. A similar result was expected, and it held true. Nonetheless, sloppiness was a theme that was not going away for the Americans at the start of the half.

About at the hour mark of the match, Christian Pulisic came into the game for the United States, which was like a spark to the crowd on the warm evening. Berhalter was looking for a weapon to break away from the tie. He came on right before a corner kick, which led to the only goal of the game. Altidore (shown below #17) caught the ball from a pass and bicycle kicked the ball into the back of the net, giving the U.S. that sweet relief.

The rest of the game involved the United States defending their shut-out, which was successful. A scary moment for the U.S. came a bit later in the half, as Djordje Mihailovich was tackled and injured on the pitch. He got back up after a minute and returned to action.

The final whistle sounded and the Stars and Stripes rightly celebrated their 1-0 victory, as well as not conceding a goal during the entire Group Stage, a feat rare in itself. Interesting take, the U.S. Women’s team also did not concede a goal during their Group Stage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a tournament that is simultaneously going on with the Gold Cup.

At the end of the game, Panama had two shots on target and the U.S. had four, with one of them being a goal. In terms of possession, the Americans controlled the ball 62% of the time.

Quarterfinal Date with Curacao

With that result for the Americans, they will go to Philadelphia, PA. to play a surprising Curacao side in the Quarterfinals. That game will take place on Jun. 30, 2019, at 8 PM EST. Curacao will make their first Quarterfinal debut after placing second in Group C.

Panama will go on to play Jamaica on the same day at 5:30 PM EST. Jamaica finished first in Group C. The winners of the two matches will play each other in the Semifinals.

The game against Panama had its ups and downs, but what is important to remember is that the U.S. started all different players than the previous game, arguably all substitutes. Goalie, Sean Johnson, had his fourth-straight shutout for the United States, playing all four games total with the team. He had made appearances since 2011.

Overall, the ‘B-team’ was a bit sloppy on their passes and slow overall. Some of the back-line had a tough time staying with the Panamanian strikers. There were some good moments though, like when Altidore scored, as well as the shutout.

Expect that Berhalter will play his starters that played against Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) when the U.S. faces Curacao in the Quarterfinals. Curacao is not a team to take lightly, as they have shocked teams like Jamaica during this Gold Cup. The U.S. just needs to tap into their game and play with the intensity that they brought against Guyana and T&T. Hopefully, the great chemistry and momentum saw previously stay on the American’s side.

GO USA!

Match Stats Against Panama

Video Highlights Against Panama