Panama defeats the United States in Gold Cup semifinals penalty shootout
Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera saves two of U.S. penalties
The USMNT will now face Mexico in the third-place game on Saturday
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Orlando Mosquera saved two of U.S. penalties to help Panama defeat the United States 5-4 on Wednesday in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The match was tied 1-1 after regulation and extra time. Panama converted all five of its penalties in the shootout, while the U.S. missed two.
Panama will now face Mexico in the final on Sunday. The U.S. will face Honduras in the third-place game on Saturday.
The U.S. started the match brightly and took the lead in the 25th minute when Haji Wright scored from close range. Panama equalized in the 55th minute when Rolando Blackburn scored with a header.
Both teams had chances to win the match in regulation and extra time, but neither team could find a winning goal. The match went to a penalty shootout, and Mosquera was the hero for Panama.
The U.S. will be disappointed to have lost the match, but they can still take some positives from the tournament. They played well in the group stage and reached the semifinals. They will now have a chance to finish the tournament on a high note when they face Honduras in the third-place game.
Panama will be delighted to have reached the final. They have played well throughout the tournament and will be confident of beating Mexico in the final.
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