USA vs. Panama 2013: Score, Grades and Highlights from Gold Cup 2013 Final

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 28, 2013

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The United States capped off an incredible run at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-0 victory over Panama in the tournament finale.

In six matches at the event, the team outscored its opponents 20-4 and had few struggles leading into the final. The win also gives the squad 11 wins in a row as it continues to prepare for the 2014 World Cup.

Panama was also playing well heading into the championship match, winning four of five, including two over Mexico. Additionally, the Americans had to compete without head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who was suspended for the match after being sent off in the semifinal against Honduras, per U.S. Soccer:



However, the United States did enough to secure the country's first Gold Cup title since 2007. 

In the first half, Team USA had the clear advantage while controlling the majority of the possession. Unfortunately, the strong opposing defense prevented any legitimate scoring opportunities.

As Paul Carr of ESPN illustrated, the U.S. side had a tough time getting close to the net on offense:



Franco Panizo of MLSSoccer.com also credits the Panama defense with a strong first half:



The most notable occurrence in the first half was the injury to Stuart Holden. After missing out on almost three years of playing due to knee issues, he was removed from the match after this collision:



Major League Soccer later reported that the injury was a sprain, although his history gives reason to be concerned:



Holden was replaced by Mikkel Diskerud in the 23rd minute. The young player was not able to provide any more of a spark on offense, though, and the teams entered halftime 0-0.

There was a lot more excitement following intermission. The United States thought it had an opportunity to score with this apparent handball in the penalty box:



Much t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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