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Weah acquired a pink card within the 18th minute for punching an opponent at the back of the top, leaving his crew shorthanded for many of a 2-1 defeat to Panama.
Regardless of the state of affairs, the People really took the lead after Weah’s dismissal on Folarin Balogun’s sensational aim within the twenty second minute. However Panama used its man benefit to reply shortly and place the US beneath duress earlier than going forward on José Fajardo’s 83rd-minute aim.
“A win tonight would have put us in an incredible place, and sadly the alternative occurred,” captain Christian Pulisic mentioned. “Simply actually upset the best way we did it. Timmy is aware of the error he made. That’s it. He’s going to study from it. It sucks. It hurts. It’s a lapse of judgment, It’s one easy second.”
Even a draw would have created excessive drama coming into the Group C finale Monday towards Uruguay in Kansas Metropolis, Mo. However as a result of it misplaced, the US (1-1-0) is sort of actually going to want to beat Uruguay (2-0-0), a 15-time match champion that beat Bolivia, 5-0, later Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.
“We have now to symbolize our nation with ardour and delight,” Pulisic mentioned. “We have now to go and play the very best sport of our lives.”
Failure to advance out of the group stage can be a serious embarrassment to the U.S. crew, which is utilizing this high-profile competitors to organize for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
“Representing a nationwide crew is an incredible honor,” mentioned Coach Gregg Berhalter, who’s in his second time period after main the crew on the 2022 World Cup. “There’s quite a lot of expectations that come together with it. Right now was an especially disappointing consequence. However the effort was there, and if we put in the identical kind of effort by way of the work effort and the togetherness, we’ll have a shot.”
Panama (1-1-0) additionally completed with 10 males after Adalberto Carrasquilla was red-carded for a brutal foul on Pulisic within the 88th minute. By then, nonetheless, Fajardo, a former D.C. United striker, had scored on an eight-yard one-timer off back-up goalkeeper Ethan Horvath’s arms earlier than 59,145 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Though the U.S. crew had misplaced simply two of the earlier 26 conferences, Panama has turn into a thorny opponent. The groups cut up their 2022 World Cup qualifiers, every profitable at residence, and Panama prevailed in a shootout within the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals.
As they did in a 2-0 victory over Bolivia on Sunday in Arlington, Tex., the People executed a set piece to attain early — besides this one didn’t depend. Lengthy after the celebration had died down, referee Iván Barton used video evaluation to find out Tim Ream had been offside when he arrange Weston McKennie’s shot.
Eleven minutes later, Weah was expelled for punching Roderick Miller throughout an off-the-ball trade in midfield. Initially a yellow card, Barton turned to video once more earlier than upgrading it to pink.
Per match guidelines, a participant who receives a pink card is forbidden from talking to reporters. Berhalter and the gamers mentioned Weah apologized to the group after the match.
“Foolish choice by Timmy. He stood up and he took accountability for it immediately,” Berhalter mentioned. In his membership and nationwide crew profession, Weah had acquired only one different pink card.
“We will’t overreact like that,” mentioned defender Chris Richards, who was proven a second-half yellow card. “It price the crew. I do know he’s hurting proper now.”
Nonetheless, the US went forward within the twenty second minute on Balogun’s breathtaking smash. Antonee Robinson intercepted a cross deep in Panama’s finish and exchanged passes with Balogun. The striker’s rasping one-timer from the highest of the penalty space kissed excessive off the far publish and into the web for his second aim of the match and fifth of his U.S. profession.
Panama answered 4 minutes later. Robinson disrupted Cesar Blackman’s preliminary bid from the highest of the field, however Blackman stayed with it and drove a slithering shot past Matt Turner’s attain and into the left nook.
Turner suffered a leg harm within the first half after a Panama participant smashed into him. He remained within the sport till halftime however didn’t return for the second half.
That incident was one in all a number of points the U.S. crew had with Barton.
“Take into consideration that: He knocks Matt out of the sport, and nothing,” Berhalter mentioned after Barton didn’t problem a card.
“You’ll be able to blame the ref, however we nonetheless misplaced the sport,” Richards mentioned. “We have now to do higher and may’t let these items occur.”
Barton and video evaluation had been on the focal point once more within the 63rd minute, when he awarded a penalty kick to Panama. However after evaluation, he decided substitute Cameron Carter-Vickers had not, in reality, fouled Fajardo.
The People had an opportunity to go forward within the 81st minute on substitute Ricardo Pepi’s header off McKennie’s cross. However Panama made essentially the most of its late alternative.
“You take a look at the possibilities we gave up [in the second half], there was actually solely that one second the man will get an open look,” Berhalter mentioned. “We didn’t take care of the primary ball very effectively. We didn’t take care of the second ball very effectively, after which we now have area between our middle backs on the cross.”
The aim — and the consequence — threw the group into disarray with one set of matches left.
“It’s a must-win sport,” Ream mentioned. “It’s a knockout sport a sport early.”
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