ATLANTA — Tim Weah is normally as cool and swish on the soccer subject as off it, however in a second of insanity Thursday, the 24-year-old winger put the U.S. nationwide group in a horrible spot. And due to it, a berth within the Copa América quarterfinals now hangs within the steadiness.
Weah acquired a purple card within the 18th minute for punching an opponent at the back of the top, leaving his group shorthanded for many of a 2-1 defeat to Panama.
Regardless of the state of affairs, the People truly took the lead after Weah’s dismissal on Folarin Balogun’s sensational purpose within the twenty second minute. However Panama used its man benefit to reply rapidly and place the US below duress earlier than going forward on José Fajardo’s 83rd-minute purpose.
“A win tonight would have put us in an awesome place, and sadly the other occurred,” captain Christian Pulisic stated. “Simply actually dissatisfied the way in which 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 getting 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 wish to beat Uruguay (2-0-0), a 15-time event champion that beat Bolivia, 5-0, later Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.
“We’ve got to symbolize our nation with ardour and satisfaction,” Pulisic stated. “We’ve got to go and play the most effective recreation of our lives.”
Failure to advance out of the group stage could be a serious embarrassment to the U.S. group, which is utilizing this high-profile competitors to organize for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
“Representing a nationwide group is an incredible honor,” stated Coach Gregg Berhalter, who’s in his second time period after main the group on the 2022 World Cup. “There’s plenty of expectations that come together with it. Immediately was an especially disappointing end result. However the effort was there, and if we put in the identical sort 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, nevertheless, 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. group had misplaced simply two of the earlier 26 conferences, Panama has change into a thorny opponent. The groups break up their 2022 World Cup qualifiers, every profitable at house, 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 overview 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 purple.
Per event guidelines, a participant who receives a purple card is forbidden from talking to reporters. Berhalter and the gamers stated Weah apologized to the group after the match.
“Foolish determination by Timmy. He stood up and he took accountability for it immediately,” Berhalter stated. In his membership and nationwide group profession, Weah had acquired only one different purple card.
“We are able to’t overreact like that,” stated defender Chris Richards, who was proven a second-half yellow card. “It value the group. 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 move 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 put up and into the online for his second purpose of the event 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 recreation till halftime however didn’t return for the second half.
That incident was considered one of a number of points the U.S. group had with Barton.
“Take into consideration that: He knocks Matt out of the sport, and nothing,” Berhalter stated after Barton didn’t subject a card.
“You possibly can blame the ref, however we nonetheless misplaced the sport,” Richards stated. “We’ve got to do higher and may’t let these items occur.”
Barton and video overview had been on the focal point once more within the 63rd minute, when he awarded a penalty kick to Panama. However after overview, he decided substitute Cameron Carter-Vickers had not, the truth is, 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 have a look at the probabilities we gave up [in the second half], there was actually solely that one second the man will get an open look,” Berhalter stated. “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’ve area between our heart backs on the cross.”
The purpose — and the end result — threw the group into disarray with one set of matches left.
“It’s a must-win recreation,” Ream stated. “It’s a knockout recreation a recreation early.”
