With just over a year until the United States co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT is navigating choppy waters. Billed as the beginning of a golden era for American soccer, their buildup to what should be their coming out party has been anything but smooth. And the most recent dagger delivered by Panama at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the recent CONCACAF Nations League semifinals could be the bitterest blow of all.
With the United States heavy favorites to progress to the final against either Mexico or Canada, Christian Pulisic and Co. were unable to find a breakthrough. Five big saves from opposition goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera – as well as some assistance from his woodwork and the offside flag – kept the Panamanians in the game. Then, in the 94th minute, disaster struck.
The visitors managed to break away deep into injury time. Then, the ball found its way to Cecilio Waterman on the right-hand side of the penalty area, and the 33-year-old hitman rifled home past Matt Turner and handed Panama a shock victory. While they were off celebrating with Thierry Henry of all people, Mauricio Pochettino and his team were left scratching their heads and wondering where the US would go from here.
Copa América Calamity
Last summer’s Copa América was supposed to be the USMNT’s proving ground ahead of the World Cup, but it ended in disaster. America hosted the tournament, and many thought that would be enough to catapult them to a deep tournament run, perhaps even emulating their 2016 exploits in which they reached the semifinals. But eight years on from that relative success, the Stars and Stripes were set for a huge wake up call.
Goals from Pulisic and Folarin Balogun secured a 2-0 win against Bolivia in the opening game at AT&T Stadium – home of another recent American disappointment in the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. But that was as good as it would get. Panama once again reveled in their role as the underdog, handing the US another bitter defeat thanks to Jose Fajardo’s 83rd-minute winner. Then, a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay sent them packing at the first hurdle, costing former manager Gregg Berhalter his job.
Panama’s recent role in America’s woes has been the joker in the pack. The Canal Men were responsible for ensuring that the Stars and Stripes didn’t reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup, edging them out by just one point and snapping USA’s qualifying streak at seven. After a few years out of the limelight, they are now back with a vengeance, eliminating them from both the Copa America and the Nations League.
Nations League Nightmare
After Berhalter’s dismissal, hopes for a turnaround rested on incoming head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian arrived with impeccable credentials built up throughout his years in Europe with Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, and he was expected to galvanize a squad filled with European-based talents. His side progressed to the Nations League semifinals at a canter, but the Panamanians would lie in wait once again.
Online bitcoin betting sites had made the Americans the huge favorites to progress. Outlets such as the popular Thunderpick bitcoin betting site had them priced as short as 1.40 to get the job done, but it was Waterman and Panama that had the final say. Now, attention turns to the future and specifically next summer’s World Cup, a tournament that the US is a somewhat surprising 50.00 tenth-favorite to win, ahead of heavy hitters such as Belgium and Croatia.
If they are to live up to that billing, they must improve no end under Poch over the next 12 months. After the game, a visibly frustrated Pochettino lamented the slow tempo of his side’s play, saying, “We didn’t show aggression with the ball, and…not to show aggression with the ball, we also didn’t show aggression defensively.”
The defeat was a wakeup call to anyone clinging to optimism surrounding the team’s World Cup prospects. Panama had one shot on target all night, yet it was enough to defeat an uninspiring U.S. side.
Will the Gold Cup Fall Flat?
This summer’s Gold Cup – long seen as a confidence-boosting tournament for building momentum – is somewhere that the US may find some solace. They will partially host the tournament alongside Canada, and Pochettino’s men must begin to hit some kind of form. Two years ago they were eliminated in the semifinals by… you guessed it… Panama. A similar display this summer will set alarm bells ringing even further.
This Stars and Stripes team that is unquestionably stacked with talent must begin to click. In Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Gio Reyna, and Tyler Adams, they have a strong core that currently plies its trade in some of Europe’s top leagues. Getting the best out of them is now the task at hand, and if they don’t become an embarrassment in front of their own fans on the planet’s grandest stage could be just around the corner.
