Panama won 3-1 against Bolivia on Monday, finishing second in Group C and moving to the Copa America quarter-finals for the first time. The United States was eliminated after losing 1-0 to Uruguay, the group winners.
This is Panama’s second time playing in the Copa America, and their victory gave them six points, three more than the U.S. Uruguay ended with nine points.
Jose Fajardo scored first for Panama. Later, substitutes Eduardo Guerrero and Cesar Yanis added two more goals. Bolivia’s only goal came from Bruno Miranda.
“Football can be tough, but today was crucial,” said Panama’s coach Thomas Christiansen. “We knew that even winning might not get us to the quarter-finals. We got anxious at times, but our players overcame it, and the substitutes made a big difference.”
Bolivia needed a win to stay in the tournament, but Panama took the lead in the 22nd minute. Cristian Martinez set up Fajardo, who skillfully volleyed the ball past Bolivia’s goalkeeper, Guillermo Viscarra.
Bolivia tied the game in the 69th minute with a goal from Miranda. They almost took the lead in the 78th minute, but Panama’s defence stopped them. A minute later, Panama regained control when Guerrero scored with a header. Yanis secured the win in added time with a powerful shot, leading to celebrations at the Inter&Co Stadium.
Panama will find out their quarter-final opponent after Group D finishes their games on Tuesday. Bolivia is out of the tournament, having lost all three of their matches and conceding ten goals.
“We need to learn from this experience,” said Bolivia’s coach Antonio Carlos Zago. “We made mistakes today, but we have to keep working to improve our national team.”
The U.S. was knocked out after losing 1-0 to Uruguay, who won all three of their group matches for the first time since 1959. Mathias Olivera scored the winning goal for Uruguay. Panama’s win over Bolivia meant they advanced, leaving the U.S. in third place.
“The pitch was tough to play on,” said Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte. “But we adapted and did what we needed to win.”
The loss increased pressure on U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, with fans chanting for his dismissal. “We know we can do better,” Berhalter said. “This tournament had great competition, and we should have performed better.”
The U.S. started strong, but Uruguay gained control as the game progressed. The match had many stoppages and physical clashes, with some controversial referee decisions.
Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araujo was injured and replaced in the 27th minute. U.S. striker Folarin Balogun also had to leave the game due to injury. Despite early chances, Uruguay had the better opportunities and scored in the 66th minute after a rebound.
The U.S. had a chance to tie in the 75th minute, but Christian Pulisic’s shot was cleared off the line. Uruguay’s defence held firm, securing their first win against the U.S. since the 1993 Copa America.
Source: Reuters
