The U.S. men’s national team simply cannot solve Panama, who came up with yet another win between the sides in Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal.
Los Canaleros came up with an absolutely stunning late goal from Cecilio Waterman to down the USMNT at SoFi Stadium, condemning Mauricio Pochettino’s side to its first-ever loss in a Nations League knockout-round match.
In one of its biggest tests before the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, the USMNT held Panama to just three shots, but the Coquimbo Unido forward’s goal five minutes into second-half stoppage time was precisely the kind of moment of class the U.S. lacked throughout.
Pochettino may well be under pressure after leaving attacking-third specialists like Gio Reyna on the bench, especially after the USMNT saw attack after attack end against a wall of white Panama shirts.
It extends a recent run of Panamanian success against the USMNT as well. Los Canaleros eliminated the USMNT on penalties at the 2023 Gold Cup, and condemned them to a shock Copa América loss that resulted in Gregg Berhalter’s dismissal. Panama has defeated the U.S. just four times in 29 meetings, but two of those wins have come in the last nine months.
For a full recap of Thursday’s action, click here Pro Soccer Wire‘s live blog of the match.