1-1(4-5): Thomas Christiansen sends Panama to the final by knocking out the USA.

The choice of Panamawith the Spanish-Danish former Barça player Thomas Christiansen as a coach, he defeated the defending champion United States on penalties (1-1, 4-5 in the shootout) and will play the final of this tournament on Sunday in Los Angeles (USA) against Mexico. This will be the third Gold Cup final for Panama, having failed to win the title on the previous two occasions (2005 and 2013).

The goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera He was the star of the shootout with two penalties saved. USA is coming off another grueling match in the quarterfinal match Canada which also ended in penalties, but this time the coin fell tails for the combined stars and stripes.

Adalberto CarrasquillaPanama’s best throughout this intense and highly exciting encounter, sealed the final penalty.

The match ended goalless after 90 legal minutes, ivan anderson surpassing the Panamanian team in 1999 and the Colombian-American Jesus Ferreira tied for the US in the 105th minute, leading to a semifinal in tense meters where the Canal team claimed victory.

Before the clock hit 30 seconds, the USA had a close chance. Panama made a mistake at the start from the back and the ball ended up at the feet of cade cowellwhich, with a tight shot, left the left post of the goal of mosque.

The match was fast paced – surprisingly in the heat in San Diego – but it was the USA who posed the most danger as two strong and muscular forwards entered the starting line-up in Cowell and Brandon Vazquez to escort ferreira.

After some initial scares, the Panamanian team settled into the field, gained ground and began to look in the opposite direction. His first approach came at 12 with a poisoned shot, between a shot on goal and a sharp center, from ismael diaz that saved a great intervention Matt Turner. The USA ran out of steam, with less speed in the ball circulation, and the team led by Thomas Christiansen took the initiative.

The Spanish-Danish coach’s board shone in the 28th minute with a beautiful play set up by a corner that ended with a goal from Yoel Barcenas, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside. Facing a USA that melted away as the minutes ticked by, Panama added to the occasion as a boarder from the left of Eric Davis, that the ‘death pass’ found no auctioneer. Diaz and Alberto Quintero they presented double chances in a broken game, but Panama’s dominance did not pay off and the US went into halftime relieved after keeping a clean sheet.

Both sets recharged their batteries and came out to bite on the restart. Vazquezafter a remarkable individual action by Cowellinexplicably missed a shot that was in the small area in the 52nd minute and only then did Panama respond with a header from Diazwhich is served by a wonderful center of barsthat drives away turner with another meritorious stop.

It’s even clearer that there is ferreira for the USA in the 65th minute, who received the ball very close to the penalty spot and the crossed and biting shot went centimeters from the Panamanian goal.

Probably affected by fatigue, Panama retreated against a more intense American team that was better and better combined with Ferreira on offense. However, Panama will soon avoid the discount extension. carrasquilla found a very good pass in the 93rd Diazwho scored a goal that seemed certain but the referee not only disallowed that goal for offside but also ruled out a possible handball from the US inside the area.

The goal that went up on the scoreboard was Anderson’s in extra time. One more, carrasquillathe brains of the Central American team, filtered the perfect pass to andersonenabled by a DeAndre Yedlin confused offside and that, after cutting the output in desperation turner99 unleashed euphoria on the Panamanian team.

The fun lasted only six minutes, the duration ferreirathe leading Gold Cup scorer, to tie the score for the USA. Jordan Morris He brought down a dangling ball in Panama’s area and the Colombian-American sent the ball into the net with a shot without the ball falling.

Almost powerless in the second half of extra time, both teams resigned themselves to penalties where mosque He started the series by stopping Ferreira’s shot. turnerexcellent on kicks from the penalty mark against Canada, shot saved from Christian Martinezbut mosque he became huge again under the sticks and failed to shoot Christian Roldan. Carrasquilla takes responsibility and, deceives turnerextended Panama’s dream of winning its first Gold Cup.