Panama had a strong performance in the first half, displaying dominance on the field. Less than 20 seconds into the game, under the guidance of interim Technical Director B.J. Callaghan, they had a clear opportunity to score. Cade Cowell struck the ball, hitting the base of the right post of the goal defended by Orlando Mosquera.
However, from that point onwards, Thomas Christiansen, the Danish-born Spaniard managing the opposing team, took control of the game’s tempo and possession.
Panama appeared to have taken the lead in the 29th minute with a counterattack goal by Edgar Barcenas. Unfortunately, it was disallowed due to an offside, which was confirmed by the VAR system.
The second half saw Cowell once again prove himself as the most threatening player for the United States.
In the 52nd minute, Cowell embarked on an impressive run towards the end line, setting up Brandon Vazquez, who, to the disappointment of the home fans, failed to convert the opportunity.
Nonetheless, in the very next play, Barcenas delivered a fantastic cross, finding Ismael Diaz unmarked just outside the six-yard box. Diaz headed the ball accurately, but a heroic save from Arsenal Premier League goalkeeper Matt Turner maintained the scoreline at 0-0.
The last significant chance in regular time for the home side came from the same player who had initiated the first dangerous attack. Jesus Ferreira expertly finished off a well-executed pass from DeAndre Yedlin, but his shot narrowly missed finding the back of the net.
In stoppage time, Panama managed to put the ball into the goal once again. However, the goal was disallowed due to an offside by Ismael Díaz. Furthermore, the VAR did not detect a handball in the area in favor of the Panama team.
Both teams found the back of the net once during extra time.
The breakthrough occurred in the 99th minute when Panama capitalized on a defensive error by the U.S. A precise pass from Adalberto Carrasquilla, originating from behind midfield, found Ivan Anderson unmarked and in a favorable position to score against the helpless Matt Turner.
