Panama left the USA’s hopes of qualifying for the Copa America knockout rounds hanging by a thread on Thursday after scoring a shock 2-1 victory over the host nation.
A stormy Group C battle in Atlanta saw both sides finish with 10 men as Panama came from behind to snatch a victory which reignites their Copa campaign after an opening loss to Uruguay.
The game turned on a moment of madness in the 18th minute, when U.S. winger Timothy Weah was sent off for striking Panama defender Roderick Miller in the face in an off-the-ball incident spotted by VAR.
Although Folarin Balogun fired the USA into the lead with a screamer from the edge of the area after 22 minutes, Panama got back on level terms only minutes later after Cesar Blackman’s strike.
As the game wore on, however, Panama’s one-man advantage began to take its toll on the weary U.S. side.
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