Short-handed U.S. left stuck in tough spot after loss to Panama
ATLANTA — Tim Weah threw an inexcusable punch, and the United States took a huge blow to its hopes of advancing at the Copa América.
José Fajardo beat backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in the 83rd minute to give Panama a 2-1 victory over the short-handed Americans on Thursday night, putting the host country in danger of elimination if it doesn’t beat Uruguay in its first-round finale.
The U.S. played most of the game a man down after Weah was sent off in the 18th minute.
“You never mean to get a red card. Under no type of circumstances,” teammate Tyler Adams said. “He apologized to the team.”
Weah issued a public apology on social media.
“I let my team and my country down,” he said. “A moment of frustration led to an irreversible consequence, and for that I am deeply sorry to my teammates, coaches, family and our fans.”
Weah was sent off by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton with a straight red card for punching Roderick Miller in the back of the head.
“A silly, silly decision by Timmy that leaves us shorthanded,” coach Gregg Berhalter said.
Folarin Balogun put the U.S. ahead in the 22nd minute, but César Blackman tied the score in the 26th.
Horvath, who replaced injured Matt Turner at halftime, couldn’t prevent Fajardo’s close-range shot from going through his arms, and Panama beat the U.S. for just the third time in 27 meetings.
“A win tonight would have put us in a great position, and unfortunately the opposite happened,” American captain Christian Pulisic said. “I’m proud of the effort that we responded with after obviously what happened [with Weah], but just really disappointed that’s the way we did it.”
The U.S., which opened with a 2-0 win against Bolivia, plays 15-time Copa champion Uruguay on Monday in Kansas City, Mo.
For U.S. to advance, it must either beat Uruguay and have a greater goal differential than Panama if Panama beats Bolivia; tie Uruguay while Panama and Bolivia also draw; or lose to Bolivia while finishing with a better goal differential than Panama and Bolivia. The U.S. is plus-one, Panama minus-one and Bolivia minusseven.
“We believe in this group,” Berhalter said. “It’s a strong team. I think if we stay focused and stick to and execute a game plan, we’ll be OK.”
But failing to advance in the biggest test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup certainly would raise questions about whether Berhalter should remain in charge.
He got that very query not long after the final whistle.
“If we don’t qualify for the next round, should my job be in the line?” Berhalter said, cutting right to the point. “That’s not for me to determine.”
Weston McKennie appeared to put the U.S. ahead in the fifth minute, but the goal was disallowed because of an offside violation.
Panama also finished a man short after Adalberto Carrasquilla was given a red card in the 88th for chopping down Pulisic from behind.
The U.S. threw everyone forward — including Horvath — in a desperate attempt to tie the game, but Panama held.
Panama lost to Uruguay 3-1 in its opener and closes group play in Orlando, Fla., against Bolivia, a team with 14 consecutive Copa América losses after a 5-0 rout by the Uruguayans on Thursday night.
“I’m super happy with the victory,” Panama coach Thomas Christiansen said. “I think it’s also well deserved, because we have read the game rightly. Even though they were missing a player for a long time, you had to score the goals to win this game. And when the score was 1-0, the situation was complicated, even if you played with one more, with the quality that the United States has shown.”
Now, it’s the Panamanians — not the Americans — who have the upper hand to move on.
“I have clear ideas, my team also has clear ideas, about what it is capable of doing,” Christiansen said. “We have achieved three fabulous points.”
A pro-American crowd of 59,145 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was irate after Weah’s ejection, especially after several other calls went against the home team, but there was little question that the U.S. player deserved the red card.
Panama held possession for a staggering 73.6% of the match and outshot the U.S. 13-6, leaving the big crowd with little to do except express its displeasure at the officiating.
U.S. players targets of racist comments
The U.S. Soccer Federation issued a statement saying it was “deeply disturbed with the racist comments made online” following the loss
The USSF said several players, including Weah, were the targets of racist comments.
“There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behavior,” the statement said. “These actions are not only unacceptable but but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusivity that we uphold as an organization.”
The USSF said it will offer mental health services to any player or staff member who requests it.
The governing body also reported the racist abuse to CONMEBOL, the South American organizers of the tournament.
“Our organization works continuously toward the evolution of a new culture that eradicates expressions of racism, offensive content on social media and all forms of violence or discrimination,” CONMEBOL said in a statement. “We condemn attitudes of intolerance in every place and on every occasion, especially those hiding behind social media accounts.”
Weah issued a public apology on social media for a loss of composure that cost his team dearly.
“No matter what, I will always fight for my team and my country till the day I am no longer needed or capable to!” he said. “I sincerely apologize to everyone. My love for this team goes beyond just football and I am so sad and angry at myself for putting my brothers through what they went through tonight.”