KANSAS SHOWDOWN: U.S. put in another shaky performance in 1-1 Gold Cup draw with Panama

The U.S. men's national team was pushed to the limit by Panama in its group stage finale but managed to secure a 1-1 draw in the Gold Cup. A 34th-minute goal from Blas Perez staked the visitors to a 1-0 halftime lead, but an equalizer 10 minutes into the second half from Michael Bradley allowed the U.S. to pull level.
Here are three thoughts from another subpar performance from the Americans.

1. Improved second half helps U.S. come back

After 45 minutes, the U.S. looked every bit like a team that was finally going to get punished for a lackluster performance. Panama had enjoyed the better of the play and was full value for its 1-0 lead.
But the halftime introduction of Clint Dempsey brought a spark to the U.S. attack, and combined with some industry from Alejandro Bedoya and a well-timed run from Bradley, the U.S. pulled even. With the ball bouncing near the Panamanian penalty area, Dempsey kept the play alive, prodding the ball to Bedoya, and his low-centering feed found Bradley on the run, allowing the U.S. captain to fire home with a first-time finish.


It marked yet another match in which the U.S. looked well short of its best. Granted, Monday's encounter against Los Canaleros was always going to be tricky for the Americans. The top spot in the group had already been clinched, and with Haiti collecting a 1-0 victory over Honduras earlier in the day, Panama desperately needed a result to secure passage to the second round. Still, more was expected from a U.S. side playing in front of a raucous home crowd at Sporting Park.
Panama manager Hernan Dario Gomez had insisted his side would play possession soccer and he proved true to his word, as it was Los Canaleros, not the U.S., that looked more comfortable on the ball in the opening 45 minutes. And for all the complaints about the play of forward Jozy Altidore, the front-line pairing of Gyasi Zardes and Chris Wondolowski struggled to keep the ball with any consistency, making it difficult for the Americans to sustain any kind of attack.
The United States' second-half improvement carried beyond Bradley's equalizer, with Dempsey and Bradley doing what they could to find a game winner. But ultimately, Panama was well worth its draw and must now hope the three points it secured will be enough to progress as one of the best third-place teams.

2. U.S. defense looks shaky again

Jurgen Klinsmann went back to the same four defenders who played in the tournament opener against Honduras, with John Brooks partnering Ventura Alvarado in the middle flanked by Fabian Johnson on the left and Timmy Chandler on the right.
Suffice it to say, finding any improvement was nigh on impossible. The warning signs were evident as Alvarado was coming out second best in his aerial battles with Perez. Brooks proved to be no better, and he was booked in the 16th minute for hauling down Perez when he looked to be off to the races. On another day, Brooks might have seen red given that he appeared to be the last defender, but damage was still done in that it was his second booking of the tournament, leaving him suspended for the quarterfinal.


Panama finally got the goal it deserved in the 34th minute, and it laid bare the difficulties that Brooks and Alvarado had with the physicality of Perez and Luis Tejada. A ball played into Perez was first-timed into the path of Tejada, and while there was a hint of offside, play was allowed to continue. Tejada bulled his way past Alvarado, and his centering feed was easily tapped home by Perez.
As for Chandler, he muddled through another inconsistent performance in which he stepped into some tackles well but struggled to cope with the speed of Alberto Quintero.
About the only defender to come out of the game with any credit was Fabian Johnson. And while his back-line mates did play better in the second half, the overall lack of consistency will do little to inspire confidence.

3. Plenty of doubts for U.S. as knockout rounds begin

It's difficult to know exactly what to make of this U.S. team at the moment. Klinsmann's first-choice defense has looked shaky. The midfield lacked consistency, as well, although it did improve after halftime, and the play of Bedoya was a bright spot. That said, the U.S. has managed to secure results despite not playing well, which is always a good trait to have.
But the match also revealed how dependent the U.S. is on Dempsey and Altidore. Dempsey provided some badly needed energy, and the performance showed how much Altidore's hold-up play will be needed in the knockout rounds, although his level will need to rise, as well.
It all points to the fact that the U.S. will need to vastly increase its performance level if it is to reach the final, which is the bare minimum that is expected. There are no guarantees, of course, and while the U.S. has yet to be beaten, a knockout match that ends in penalties is a distinct possibility.
Help could come in the form of some roster additions, although the lack of consistency seems so pervasive that it will take more than just a few new bodies to change things. Klinsmann and the players can only hope the pressure of the knockout stages will bring out the best in his side.