On the passionate night of June 28, Beijing time, the second round of the group stage of the Copa America ushered in a compelling showdown - Panama versus the United States. The match kicked off with great anticipation from the fans, with both sides eager to get a head start in the group stage.
Shortly after the start of the first half, the game entered a white-hot stage. A brilliant shot by US midfielder McKenney was ruthlessly blown away by the referee for offside, causing the crowd to feel sorry for him. The game then took a sudden turn for the worse, as U.S. forward Timothy Weah was shown a red card by the referee for hitting an opponent during a scrum, which undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. offense.
However, the U.S. team did not give up. Shortly afterward, Balogun stepped up to the plate and broke the deadlock with an exquisite move into the penalty area, calmly firing a shot to give the U.S. the lead. However, Panama responded quickly and Blackman, with the support of his teammates, equalized the score with a precise shot, bringing the two sides back to the same starting line.
After the change of sides, the game became more intense in the second half. Panama gradually took the initiative on the field by virtue of their numerical superiority. In the XXth minute, Fajardo showed his outstanding individual ability in a counterattack. After carrying the ball into the penalty area, he faced a number of U.S. defenders and calmly shot the ball into the goal, helping Panama take a valuable lead.
However, the leading Panamanian team was not able to hold on to their victory. The U.S. team was playing with one man less, but they still showed a tenacious fighting spirit. Towards the end of the match, Carrasquilla kicked down the core player of the US team, Pulisic, and this bad foul made him receive a second yellow card, which led to his being sent off with a red card. The Panamanian team was in a difficult situation, but fortunately, they were able to hold on to the hard-earned victory.
Finally, with the referee's whistle, the match was over. Panama beat the mighty United States 2-1, a victory that certainly adds to their prospects of qualifying for the group.
