USMNT bombs Pochettino's first test, loses to Panama in Nations League semifinals

Yahoo

21-03-2025

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Panama stunned the U.S. men's national team with a stoppage-time goal in Thursday's CONCACAF Nations League semifinals to deal new USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino his first loss on the job.
The USMNT labored through 90 minutes. They were stymied by a resolute Panamanian team, and by their own hesitance and timidity. At times, they looked disinterested. They played with none of 'the grit, the desire, the nastiness' that Weston McKennie said Pochettino has been trying to instill.
But still, the game seemed destined for extra time. It droned on and on at 0-0.
Then, in the 94th minute, Cecilio Waterman beat U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner, and Panama prevailed 1-0.
NA NA NA NA 🇵🇦NA NA NA NA 🇨🇦HEY HEY HEY 😎____ ___ 👋#USMNT pic.twitter.com/WZ5ntZqiF5
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) March 21, 2025
This story will be updated.
A shocking ending as Panama scores in the final minute of stoppage time to steal the win.
¡Cecilio Waterman la manda al fondo de la red! 🇵🇦💥 pic.twitter.com/2QIyCOhcoI
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 21, 2025
PANAMA TAKES THE LEAD OVER THE USMNT IN STOPPAGE TIME 😱🇵🇦 pic.twitter.com/uaDpAxzhfB
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 21, 2025
IT'S 1-0 PANAMA WITH MINUTES LEFT IN THE MATCH
This game is crying out for somebody who can make a play out of nothing in tight spaces.
Gio Reyna and Diego Luna are two of maybe three U.S. players capable of doing that. And yet Pochettino hasn't turned to either of them.
CLOSE FROM PATRICK AGYEMANG 😱The USMNT have some momentum late 👀 pic.twitter.com/kGZefZXpSG
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 21, 2025
A few injury stoppages over the past 10 minutes.
One chance for the U.S., created by Weston McKennie for Pat Agyemang, was comfortably saved.
Still 0-0, 85th minute.
79' - SubstitutionIN: Mark McKenzieOUT: Chris Richards pic.twitter.com/MLmFeKCYWu
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 21, 2025
The changes have not changed anything so far.
Still dull, congested, and 0-0.
Apologies to those who've spent an hour and a half of their life watching.
Lads. 🇺🇸@HoustonDynamo | @CharlotteFC pic.twitter.com/9CCavCQNDv
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 21, 2025
... but Gio Reyna is not one of them.
Pochettino subbing in Patrick Agyemang and Jack McGlynn for Josh Sargent and Tanner Tessmann.
... has been their Tyler Adams-reinforced defensive solidity.
Panama has created nothing of note. (Which, of course, Panama will be just fine with if the U.S. also creates nothing of note. But still, the U.S. structure, both defensively and in defensive transition, has been good.)
One of the USMNT's problems in the first half was that Panama, with its narrow 5-4-1, was forcing the Americans to attack through wide areas... and the U.S. had nobody capable of making plays with the ball at his feet on the right.
So, Pulisic and McKennie have swapped. McKennie is now in the left halfspace, and Pulisic is playing wide right.
Some early pressure from the U.S. to start the
... by the few thousand USMNT fans who are actually here.
It's 0-0.
Roaring start to the year before a World Cup year! (That's sarcasm, to be clear.)
For a semifinal, between two teams that have played chippy, physical affairs in the past, with a World Cup in the not-too-distant future... this has been quite dull.
A pretty sparse crowd — many of whom are wearing green and waiting for the second game — hasn't helped.
JOSH SARGENT NEARLY SCORES HIS FIRST USMNT GOAL IN FIVE AND A HALF YEARS 😱 pic.twitter.com/P0X280qyxx
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 20, 2025
... Tim Weah was offside in the buildup, by several yards.
A few moments later, Sargent scored, but an easy call to disallow it.
After a rocky, tentative stretch between minutes 5 and 15, the USMNT just created two chances.
First, McKennie found Sargent with a cut-back in the box, and the striker's shot deflected off the post.
Next, Weah found McKennie with a cross, and McKennie's back-post header, from pretty darn close range, was right down the goalkeeper's throat.
Tyler Adams needed only eight minutes to show why he's such a valued member of this national team.
Chris Richards got bodied off the ball by Christian Martínez, who led a Panama break. Adams scrambled back and blocked Martínez's cross in the penalty box.
As Weston McKennie said yesterday, when asked about Adams: "Having him in the lineup, and playing in that 6 role, it's kind of a sense of security — knowing that if you're not able to get back [and defend ... he can do it."
A shocking ending as Panama scores in the final minute of stoppage time to steal the win.
¡Cecilio Waterman la manda al fondo de la red! 🇵🇦💥 pic.twitter.com/2QIyCOhcoI
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 21, 2025
PANAMA TAKES THE LEAD OVER THE USMNT IN STOPPAGE TIME 😱🇵🇦 pic.twitter.com/uaDpAxzhfB
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 21, 2025
IT'S 1-0 PANAMA WITH MINUTES LEFT IN THE MATCH
This game is crying out for somebody who can make a play out of nothing in tight spaces.
Gio Reyna and Diego Luna are two of maybe three U.S. players capable of doing that. And yet Pochettino hasn't turned to either of them.
CLOSE FROM PATRICK AGYEMANG 😱The USMNT have some momentum late 👀 pic.twitter.com/kGZefZXpSG
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 21, 2025
A few injury stoppages over the past 10 minutes.
One chance for the U.S., created by Weston McKennie for Pat Agyemang, was comfortably saved.
Still 0-0, 85th minute.
79' - SubstitutionIN: Mark McKenzieOUT: Chris Richards pic.twitter.com/MLmFeKCYWu
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 21, 2025
The changes have not changed anything so far.
Still dull, congested, and 0-0.
Apologies to those who've spent an hour and a half of their life watching.
Lads. 🇺🇸@HoustonDynamo | @CharlotteFC pic.twitter.com/9CCavCQNDv
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 21, 2025
... but Gio Reyna is not one of them.
Pochettino subbing in Patrick Agyemang and Jack McGlynn for Josh Sargent and Tanner Tessmann.
... has been their Tyler Adams-reinforced defensive solidity.
Panama has created nothing of note. (Which, of course, Panama will be just fine with if the U.S. also creates nothing of note. But still, the U.S. structure, both defensively and in defensive transition, has been good.)
One of the USMNT's problems in the first half was that Panama, with its narrow 5-4-1, was forcing the Americans to attack through wide areas... and the U.S. had nobody capable of making plays with the ball at his feet on the right.
So, Pulisic and McKennie have swapped. McKennie is now in the left halfspace, and Pulisic is playing wide right.
Some early pressure from the U.S. to start the
... by the few thousand USMNT fans who are actually here.
It's 0-0.
Roaring start to the year before a World Cup year! (That's sarcasm, to be clear.)
For a semifinal, between two teams that have played chippy, physical affairs in the past, with a World Cup in the not-too-distant future... this has been quite dull.
A pretty sparse crowd — many of whom are wearing green and waiting for the second game — hasn't helped.
JOSH SARGENT NEARLY SCORES HIS FIRST USMNT GOAL IN FIVE AND A HALF YEARS 😱 pic.twitter.com/P0X280qyxx
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 20, 2025
... Tim Weah was offside in the buildup, by several yards.
A few moments later, Sargent scored, but an easy call to disallow it.
After a rocky, tentative stretch between minutes 5 and 15, the USMNT just created two chances.
First, McKennie found Sargent with a cut-back in the box, and the striker's shot deflected off the post.
Next, Weah found McKennie with a cross, and McKennie's back-post header, from pretty darn close range, was right down the goalkeeper's throat.
Tyler Adams needed only eight minutes to show why he's such a valued member of this national team.
Chris Richards got bodied off the ball by Christian Martínez, who led a Panama break. Adams scrambled back and blocked Martínez's cross in the penalty box.
As Weston McKennie said yesterday, when asked about Adams: "Having him in the lineup, and playing in that 6 role, it's kind of a sense of security — knowing that if you're not able to get back [and defend ... he can do it."