Michael Bradley scores equalizer as USA salvage point vs. Panama
The hard work concluded before the U.S. national team even hit Sporting Park. This group took the field with their place atop Group A confirmed and their trip to Baltimore for a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal on Saturday secured. There were still obligations left to fulfill in the finale against Panama, though. For the most part, they were sorted out in due course in this 1-1 draw.
Panama entered the game with considerably starker motivations at work and played like it in the first half. Their energy prompted John Brooks to take a yellow card destined to rule him out of the quarterfinals through suspension and unsettled the American defense in the process. Blas Perez finally produced the necessary foothold when he poked Luis Tejeda’s inviting cross home from close range.
Clint Dempsey emerged at halftime as part of a double substitute and sparked the Americans to life once more. Dempsey’s integral poke paved the way for the equalizer with Alejandro Bedoya’s inviting cross and Michael Bradley’s timely arrival cinching it after 55 minutes.
Both teams attempted to tip the balance in their favor as the second half progressed, but there were no more goals en route. Panama consigned itself to a nervy wait to learn their quarterfinal fate over the next two days as the third-place finisher in Group A, while the Americans prepared for their trek to the East Coast with loftier goals in mind.
"The positive you take from it is we're unbeaten in the group," Dempsey, who had scored all three American goals in the tournament coming in, told the media after the game. "Now we focus on the quarterfinals and make sure we're playing our best."
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann must contemplate his potential changes for the knockout round and settle upon them in the next 24 hours. Brooks’ one-match suspension complicates the calculus, but there are other considerations at play as Klinsmann weighs whether to make his six allotted changes. This performance -- another toil in the first half before another considerable response after the break -- gives Klinsmann plenty of food for thought as the serious action commences on Saturday.
"It's been a very, very difficult group," Klinsmann said, "like we always said. If you watch those teams carefully, there is a lot of quality in this group."
Klinsmann opted to shuffle his lineup for this challenge with one eye on the knockout round. Bedoya and Alfredo Morales made their first appearances of the competition on either side of a diamond midfield, while Chris Wondolowski partnered Gyasi Zardes up top with Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey left on the bench.
All of the alterations prompted a disjointed start as the Americans dropped deep early and invited Panamanian pressure. The dynamic forced Wondolowski and Zardes to corral long balls out of the back and try to hold up play. More often than not, the moves broke down and permitted the Panamanians to commit numbers forward.
There were danger signs within the opening 10 minutes when Luis Tejada turned in the opener only to see it ruled out for offside. There were ample opportunities for Panama to run between the lines, while the early yellow card to Brooks for wrangling Blas Perez to the ground exacerbated some of those concerns.
Panama kept pushing forward and provoked a fine double save in the process. Brad Guzan did well to get down to the initial effort, but he permitted the rebound to bounce clear. Valentin Pimental drove it toward goal, but Guzan and Fabian Johnson combined to avert the danger.
Intermittent spells on the ball allowed the Americans to relieve the tension, but the difficult opening period eventually told just after the half-hour. There were questions about offside on the initial flick through, but Tejada avoided the flag and surged behind the defense. His turn stranded Ventura Alvarado and thrust him into a position where he could square against a scrambling American defense. Perez arrived at just the right time to finish off the move and stake the Panamanians to a deserved lead.
Perez’s breakthrough provoked the expected response from a home side that had never lost at Sporting Park. The injection of urgency pushed the American line up the field and set the stage for their best chance of the half four minutes before the break. Bedoya raced in behind the line and tumbled under a recovery challenge. The contact appeared to occur on the outside of the penalty area, but referee Roberto Garcia waved away the incredulous American appeals.
Klinsmann responded to the difficult first half by introducing Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin at halftime. The changes and the state of the game inspired the Americans to increase the tempo and push higher and wider. The renewed American intent reaped the desired dividends with the equalizer 10 minutes into the second half.
Dempsey’s application and grit played a large part in keeping the scruffy buildup alive and shepherding the ball out to Bedoya on the left. Bedoya collected on the left and swung a tempting ball back across the face of goal. Bradley timed his run to perfectly and turned home from close range to spark a furious reaction and underscore the American revival after the break.
The goal highlighted the difference between the languid issues in the first half and the driving intent displayed in the second. Panama found it difficult to match the tempo established as the second half unfolded and as their legs tired. There were occasional Panamanian forays into the attacking half, but the Americans established dominion over the proceedings as the half progressed.
Guzan continued his fine group stage with a tidy reaction save on Miguel Camargo’s near-post effort, but he most watched his team advance forward in search of a winner. The endeavor placed Panama under pressure without producing the necessary chance or two required to sort out this affair.
Panama huffed and puffed in the late stages, but the Americans ushered them to the brink nevertheless. It is now time for both teams to wait for their assignments and their fates as the Gold Cup group stage concludes over the next two days. At least for the Americans, they will pass the time with the knowledge that their berth is secure and their record is unbeaten heading into the last eight.
"I think we're just getting our feet in the tournament," Klinsmann said. "The tournament starts now, the knockout stage. It's been a tough road but now it's getting serious stuff."
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report
