Despondent USMNT Falls To Panama Again

It seems the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) can’t shake the ghost of Panama.

They were shocked once again last night, losing 1-0 in the Concacaf Nations League Semifinal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It was the first time in the competition’s brief history that the Americans were knocked out, having won the competition three times in a row since its debut a few years ago.

The difference? Clinical finishing and strong defending. The Americans were without talismanic strikers Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and explosive fullbacks Antony Robinson and Sergino Dest, yet still had more than enough chances to get on the scoreboard all night,  controlling possession 66% to 33% and outshooting their opponents 12 to 3. Panama’s gameplan worked to perfection, sitting deep and waiting for opportunities on the counterattack, struggling to break down Thomas Christiansen’s sturdy 5-4-1 formation.

Ultimately, it was a stoppage-time goal from Panama striker Cecilio Waterman that sealed the tie. In an iconic celebration, he hopped the barrier to embrace Thierry Henry, saying he is his idol.

It marks the third year in a row the Panamanians have gotten one over the United States. In 2024, they beat them 2-1 in Atlanta in the Copa America group stage, causing the U.S. to fail to advance to the knockout round. In 2023, Panama defeated them 5-4 on penalties in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals after drawing 1-1 in extra time. The loss eliminated the U.S. from the tournament and ended their run of three consecutive Concacaf titles.

For the United States, it serves as a wake-up call entering 2026 in preparation for the World Cup, which they are hosting alongside Canada and Mexico.

New USA manager Mauricio Pochettino said post-game that his side was simply outfought: “This is the responsibility of everyone. We need to find a way to compete better and that’s it,” the Argentinian said.

“But you need aggression,” he said. “If you don’t have this, it’s impossible. Because the opponent always knows we are going to play into feet. You are going to play safe. If you want to play football, you need to take risks. You need to go forward. You need to win duels.”

The United States will play Canada for the third-place match on Sunday, March 23rd. Panama and Mexico will play each other in the Final.