On a historic night in Chicago, Panama defeated the United States 5-4 on penalty kicks to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final. The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams playing to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time.
The United States opened the scoring in the first half when midfielder Christian Pulisic put away a rebound from a shot by Gyasi Zardes. The goal was Pulisic’s fourth of the tournament, and it gave the US a 1-0 lead going into the break.
In the second half, Panama equalized when Abdiel Arroyo scored in the 79th minute. The goal was Arroyo’s first of the tournament, and it sent the match into extra time.
The extra time period saw both teams create chances, but neither could find the back of the net. With the score still tied at 1-1, the match went to penalty kicks.
In the penalty shootout, Panama goalkeeper Luis Mejia was the hero as he saved two of the US’s five attempts. Panama converted all five of their attempts, with Gabriel Torres scoring the decisive goal to give his team a 5-4 victory.
With the win, Panama will now face Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final on Sunday. It will be a rematch of the 2013 final, which Mexico won 4-2.
The victory is a huge accomplishment for Panama, who are making their first appearance in the Gold Cup Final since 2005. It is also a huge disappointment for the US, who were looking to win their sixth Gold Cup title.
No matter what happens in Sunday’s final, Panama’s victory over the US will go down in history as one of the most memorable matches in CONCACAF history.
