This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jul/25/usa-panama-gold-cup-third-place

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
USA cap miserable Gold Cup with penalty shootout loss to Panama USA cap miserable Gold Cup with penalty shootout loss to Panama
(about 1 hour later)
The match didn’t really matter and everyone seemed to know it, but a loss to Panama capped off a dismal Concacaf Gold Cup for the USA, giving them a fourth-place finish, their worst in 15 years.The match didn’t really matter and everyone seemed to know it, but a loss to Panama capped off a dismal Concacaf Gold Cup for the USA, giving them a fourth-place finish, their worst in 15 years.
Related: Gold Cup third place match: USA 1-1 Panama (Panama win 3-2 on penalties)Related: Gold Cup third place match: USA 1-1 Panama (Panama win 3-2 on penalties)
Fresh off a stunning loss to Jamaica in the semi-final, the Americans fell in a penalty kick shootout to Panama on Saturday after a 1-1 extra-time result. It was the USA’s second loss to Panama all time and their worst Gold Cup performance since coming in fifth place in 2000.Fresh off a stunning loss to Jamaica in the semi-final, the Americans fell in a penalty kick shootout to Panama on Saturday after a 1-1 extra-time result. It was the USA’s second loss to Panama all time and their worst Gold Cup performance since coming in fifth place in 2000.
Goalkeeper Luis Mejía denied USA captain Michael Bradley with a diving stop in the shootout to give Panama the 3-2 shootout win and third place in the tournament. Goalkeeper Luis Mejía denied USA captain Michael Bradley with a diving stop in the shootout to give Panama the 3-2 win on penalties and third place in the tournament.
A pair of second-half USA substitutes found the equalizer and kept the Americans in the match after falling behind. In the 70th minute, DeAndre Yedlin chested down a long ball and knocked it into the path of an on-running Clint Dempsey, who slid his shot past Mejía.A pair of second-half USA substitutes found the equalizer and kept the Americans in the match after falling behind. In the 70th minute, DeAndre Yedlin chested down a long ball and knocked it into the path of an on-running Clint Dempsey, who slid his shot past Mejía.
Roberto Nurse opened scoring by collecting a slip pass 10 minutes into the second half and cutting through Tim Ream and John Brooks, who looked to have given up on the play. Nurse was given plenty of time and finished neatly inside the far post, past goalkeeper Brad Guzan.Roberto Nurse opened scoring by collecting a slip pass 10 minutes into the second half and cutting through Tim Ream and John Brooks, who looked to have given up on the play. Nurse was given plenty of time and finished neatly inside the far post, past goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
USA manager Jürgen Klinsmann made wholesale to his starting line-up that crashed out against Jamaica, bringing in six different players and shifting some of the remaining stars around. But Panama, stinging from a controversial loss to Mexico in the semi-final, had the better chances on the day. Nurse nearly nabbed the lead in the 108th with a powerful blast, but Guzan got his fingertips on it to deflect it just wide. USA manager Jürgen Klinsmann made wholesale changes to his starting line-up that crashed out against Jamaica, bringing in six different players and shifting some of the remaining stars around. “I think we could have won this tournament,” a disappointed Klinsmann said. “We didn’t. We take our lessons from there and move on.”
Guzan made several big saves throughout the day. He denied Ronaldo Blackburn’s 81st-minute effort to pull Panama ahead on a set piece. Blackburn rose above everyone and smashed a close-range header that Guzan quickly got a palm to. Panama, stinging from a controversial loss to Mexico in the semi-final, had the better chances, outshooting the Americans 24 to eight. Armando Cooper nearly scored first on a brilliant individual effort in the 37th minute, but defender Tim Ream preserved the blank score. Cooper ran half the field, beat Omar Gonzalez and slotted it past Guzan, but Ream covered to clear it off the line.
Armando Cooper nearly scored first on a brilliant individual effort in the 37th minute, but defender Tim Ream preserved the blank score. Cooper ran half the field, beat Omar Gonzalez and slotted it past Guzan, but Ream covered to clear it off the line. Guzan made 10 saves on the day, a couple of them big ones. He denied Ronaldo Blackburn’s 81st-minute effort to pull Panama ahead on a set piece. Blackburn rose above everyone and smashed a close-range header that Guzan quickly got a palm to. Nurse nearly nabbed the lead in the 108th with a powerful blast, but Guzan got his fingertips on it to deflect it just wide.
The match was of no real consequence to either team and they certainly played like it with a lifeless, lackluster first half. But as the day stretched into extra time, frustrations bubbled up in the 98th minute after Yedlin caught Alberto Quintero in the face with his arm. A chaotic shoving match interrupted play and left three players with yellow cards.The match was of no real consequence to either team and they certainly played like it with a lifeless, lackluster first half. But as the day stretched into extra time, frustrations bubbled up in the 98th minute after Yedlin caught Alberto Quintero in the face with his arm. A chaotic shoving match interrupted play and left three players with yellow cards.
A bizarre sequence in extra time had Panama players ignoring the 10-yard rule on a Bradley free kick by standing yards away while the referee made no effort to correct them, even as American players complained. A bizarre sequence in extra time had Panama players ignoring the 10-yard rule on a Bradley free kick by standing yards away while the referee made no effort to correct them, even as American players complained. A frustrating match for both sides, it had a whopping 35 fouls overall, evenly split.
Panama were missing a couple key players – collateral damage from a messy, controversial semi-final against Mexico days earlier. Starting goalkeeper Jaime Penedo was handed a two-game suspension for allegedly shoving an assistant referee, and Luis Tejada was given a red card in that match, one of many decisions American referee Mark Geiger later admitted was wrong.Panama were missing a couple key players – collateral damage from a messy, controversial semi-final against Mexico days earlier. Starting goalkeeper Jaime Penedo was handed a two-game suspension for allegedly shoving an assistant referee, and Luis Tejada was given a red card in that match, one of many decisions American referee Mark Geiger later admitted was wrong.
The Panamanian federation was fined for its comments about the outcome of the semi-final, including a banner players posed with that said “Concacaf ladrones,” which translates roughly to “Concacaf crooks”. The Panamanians considered boycotting the third-place match entirely, but showed up on Saturday to PPL Park wearing T-shirts that said in Spanish: “We respect the football. Dignity isn’t bought.”The Panamanian federation was fined for its comments about the outcome of the semi-final, including a banner players posed with that said “Concacaf ladrones,” which translates roughly to “Concacaf crooks”. The Panamanians considered boycotting the third-place match entirely, but showed up on Saturday to PPL Park wearing T-shirts that said in Spanish: “We respect the football. Dignity isn’t bought.”
The loss marks the end of rocky Gold Cup for the USA. They played poorly throughout the tournament, except for a 6-0 pummeling against an underwhelming Cuba side. This year was the first time in six tournaments the Americans failed to reach the Gold Cup final stretching back 12 years.The loss marks the end of rocky Gold Cup for the USA. They played poorly throughout the tournament, except for a 6-0 pummeling against an underwhelming Cuba side. This year was the first time in six tournaments the Americans failed to reach the Gold Cup final stretching back 12 years.
The fourth place finished also capped off what was a bizarre tournament all round.The fourth place finished also capped off what was a bizarre tournament all round.
“I say this with total endearment: It’s a ridiculous tournament,” Bradley told reporters a week ago, a comment that may have cost him a fine from Concacaf. “Between the travel, the short turnaround between games, grass being laid over turf, the weather, it’s a huge challenge.”“I say this with total endearment: It’s a ridiculous tournament,” Bradley told reporters a week ago, a comment that may have cost him a fine from Concacaf. “Between the travel, the short turnaround between games, grass being laid over turf, the weather, it’s a huge challenge.”
The third-place match was little consolation to the Americans either way. Their defeat by Jamaica cost them a guaranteed spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. Now they must try to qualify in a playoff match against the winner of Sunday’s Gold Cup championship, set for October 9 at a to-be-determined venue in the US. The third-place match had little consolation to offer the Americans either way. Their defeat by Jamaica cost them a guaranteed spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. Now they must try to qualify in a playoff match against the winner of Sunday’s Gold Cup championship, set for October 9 at a to-be-determined venue in the US.
The silver lining of an otherwise lackluster performance from the US is that none of the players received any red cards, which would have been carried over to the qualifying playoff on October, per Concacaf rules.The silver lining of an otherwise lackluster performance from the US is that none of the players received any red cards, which would have been carried over to the qualifying playoff on October, per Concacaf rules.