United States forward Christian Pulisic (10) controls the ball past Panama defender Edgardo Farina (24) Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: USMNT underwhelms in first half vs. Panama at Copa America

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 27, 2024 7:42 PM ET

Apparently, Panama will not roll over in its match against the U.S. men's national team at Copa America.

Panama defender Cesar Blackman responded four minutes after USMNT forward Folarin Balogun netted the match's first goal, nailing an excellent shot in the left corner to tie up the game.

AND JUST LIKE THAT PANAMA TIES IT pic.twitter.com/U4uvif7UQM
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2024

Thus far, the USMNT has made some critical mistakes, preventing it from building momentum.

In the fifth minute of the match, U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie netted a goal, but video assistant review (VAR) erased it after ruling that defender Tim Ream was offside.

Then, in the 18th minute, forward Tim Weah drew a red card, meaning the U.S. must play with 10 players for the rest of the match.

Tim Weah receives a red card after review for this contact pic.twitter.com/phw8bSzdKR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2024

Though the U.S. (No. 11) has a higher FIFA ranking than Panama (No. 43), it shouldn't underestimate its Concacaf rival. The U.S. lost its last match against Panama in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal.

The U.S. must improve its execution to avoid another upset. It is second in Group C behind Uruguay, but can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals if it beats Panama and Bolivia upsets or draws Uruguay.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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