Panama shocks the United States of America – Uruguay disappoints Bolivia

Didn't expect it: The host United States is already in danger of being a spectator at the Copa America after a 1:2 (1:1) draw with Panama in the quarter-finals.

The team, led by captain and Christian Pulisic (Milan), is level with the Central American team on three points. On the final day of the group match, they need more points against league leaders Uruguay, who almost qualified after a 5-0 (2-0) win over Bolivia.

“We have to go out and play the best match of our lives,” former Borussia Dortmund star Pulisic said of the duel.

But things went very differently: early in the third group match in Atlanta, American striker Timothy Weah threw all the plans of the home team, which initially defeated Bolivia 2-0, with a red card (18th minute). .

The son of George Weah, the 1995 international footballer and president of Liberia until January this year, unnecessarily knocked his opponent down from the ball near the halfway line.

The Juventus player immediately apologized on Instagram. “I sincerely apologize for everything,” was just one sentence Weah addressed to his fans. Coach Gregg Berhalter explained in the subsequent press conference that he had also apologized to the team.

The American coach admitted, saying: “We talked about this referee’s tendencies before, and we knew what he could do, and to be honest, I think we played into his hands.”

“The decisive event in the game, of course, was the red card and that put us in a difficult position,” he explained, calling Weah's action a “stupid decision.” The card was the first shown to a USMNT player in a competitive game in 40 years.

First, Team USA, with Mönchengladbach's Joe Scully defending on the right flank again, took the lead with Folarin Balogun's second goal of the tournament (22nd). But the “Reds”, coached by former German Bochum top scorer Thomas Christiansen, responded with goals from Cesar Blackman (26th) and Jose Fajardo (83rd), before Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla made the match exciting again by sending him off (88th).

In East Rutherford, Uruguay quickly paved the way to victory thanks to Facundo Pellistri (eighth), and followed up the opening 3-1 victory over Panama with further goals from Darwin Nunez (21st), Maximiliano Araujo (77th), Federico Valverde (81st). ) and Rodrigo Bentancur (89) followed by a shooting festival.

In the end, the veteran Luis Suarez, 37 years old, was able to participate in the cup for the first time.

With Sports Information Service (SID)