Matt Turner said afterwards he had a premonition of sorts, telling TUDN's Michele Giannone of a nagging sense that “something bad was going to happen” as the US men’s national team faced Panama in their second Group C Copa América match in Atlanta.
It was that and then some Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just a stone’s throw from where a comparably confrontational US presidential debate was unfolding on the same evening.
Another angry, physical clash between these familiar Concacaf combatants devolved into a slow-motion debacle for the USMNT as a disastrous sequence of events unfolded – hinging on a first-half red card for Tim Weah and ending in a shocking 2-1 upset win for Los Canaleros that most likely forces the Yanks to defeat menacing Uruguay in Kansas City on Monday if they are to advance to the tournament’s knockout stages.
“Extremely disappointing,” said US coach Gregg Berhalter postgame. “I can't fault the effort of the group, especially after going down a man; the guys dug in, and we were close to coming out with a point. But it’s a shame because there was more in this game and a silly decision by Timmy leaves us shorthanded. And then you have the whole thing that's moving with the referee throughout the game.”
Weah sees red
That last bit was an oblique reference to Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, who, along with the Video Review crew, had no choice but to eject Weah when the winger was caught lashing out at Roderick Miller away from the play after the Canaleros defender baited him with a cynical bump, yet still struggled to keep control of this ill-tempered encounter.
“We talked beforehand about the tendencies of this referee, we knew what he's capable of. And to be honest, I think we played right into his hands,” said Berhalter. “We made that decision, I think, pretty easy. Tim got bumped, he got checked, and he reacted. And he apologized to the group. And I think he understands what a difficult position he put the group in. Nonetheless, it happened and as a result, we lost this game and we're going to have to move on and figure out how to win the next game.”
This was a cascade of setbacks for the North Americans. First the host nation saw a clinical early strike from Weston McKennie waved off by an offside call in the buildup. Then Turner himself suffered, slammed at full speed by Panama’s César Blackman as he claimed a cross, picking up a knee knock that eventually forced him to exit at halftime, replaced by Ethan Horvath.
“Yeah, it was a nice challenge by the attacker that didn't even get a caution, which is really surprising,” said Berhalter. “Think about that. He knocks Matt out of the game and nothing. But again, that is what it is. But Matt couldn't continue on and we had to sub him.”
Minutes after that frightening collision, Weah got the marching orders that sentenced the Yanks to more than an hour of shorthanded, and ultimately fruitless, labor. Tyler Adams hinted at tough conversations when FOX’s Jenny Taft asked him what was said among the group after this massive setback.
“What hasn't been said? Emotional rollercoaster,” said the New York Red Bulls academy product. “But we said that’s soccer at the end of the day; we know what we signed up for in playing a Copa América. We knew it was going to be a fight. Credit to Panama, they did their job, they got the result. Obviously, I think moving forward, we need to control our emotions in certain situations. I think the team fought for everything after we got the red card. Definitely can't fault the effort.”
Highs and lows
Even when Folarin Balogun stunned the nearly 60,000 spectators with a gorgeous strike into the top corner against the run of play just moments after Weah’s exit, the gloom returned almost immediately as Blackman – who escaped caution from Barton for his earlier collision with Turner – steered a low drive into the bottom left corner to equalize.
Berhalter shuffled his tactical deck at halftime, making a triple substitution and arranging his side in a 5-3-1 shape intended to clog up the midfield and limit Panama’s deliveries from wide areas. While completely conceding possession, it mostly worked, as the Central Americans were held to less than one expected goal on the night, their number slightly eclipsed by the USMNT’s in that category.
Yet Panama only needed one opportunity, and they got it seven minutes from full-time when José Fajardo – who spent a brief stint at D.C. United under Wayne Rooney last year – lashed a smart centering pass from Abdiel Ayarza off Horvath’s hands and into the net to set off perhaps the loudest alarm bells of Berhalter’s five years in charge.
“It's one moment. When you look at the stats, you look at the chances that we gave up, it was really only that one moment that the guy gets an open look,” said a defiant Berhalter when asked about his second-half approach. “We didn't deal with the first ball very well. We didn't deal with the second ball very well, and then too much space between our center backs on the cross. But, I mean, besides that, we're talking about very, very little production from Panama and really a tremendous effort by the guys to dig in there, work for each other, keep our shape and keep moving.
“For us, it was really about picking and choosing the moments to counterattack, but being difficult to break down,” he later added. “And for the most part, besides on the goal, we did that. Again, one lapse, we got punished for it. But I think we were solid enough to get out and away with a point.”
Uruguay awaits
A draw would have been a lifeline, mainly because it would have denied Panama two points ahead of their group-stage finale vs. Bolivia, who have looked overmatched at this event. The USMNT must assume Panama will win that fixture, which means their own quarterfinal hopes hinge on upsetting Uruguay, whom Marcelo Bielsa has shaped into a ferocious favorite to win it all.
“Pressure is part of what we what we sign up for. That's part of this job, representing a national team is a tremendous honor, and there's a lot of expectations that come along with it,” said Berhalter. “Today, as I reiterate, was an extremely disappointing result. But the effort was there and if we put in the same type of effort in this game, in terms of the work, effort and the togetherness, we'll have a shot to beat Uruguay. We know it's going to be difficult, but we're going to give it our best.”
