There is a reason CONCACAF has evolved into a verb – as in, the United States men’s national team got CONCACAF’d Thursday night in Atlanta -- over the course of a generation in soccer. It is about poor officiating, uneven application of the rules, the tolerance of cynical play.
What’s amazing is the USMNT managed to get CONCACAF’d in a tournament that is the purview of South America’s federation, CONMEBOL.
But hey, they were the ones who assigned a referee from this portion of the soccer world to the game, and Ivan Barton’s dreadful management of the match contributed to the United States’ 2-1 loss to Panama in the second game of Group C play at Copa America.
Oh, this result is mostly on Tim Weah, the forward who used his right wing to take a swipe at an opponent in the game’s 17th minute. Weah might have thought because his action was behind the referee’s back and well off the ball, he could get away with it. But this is 2024. There are cameras everywhere. Someone always is watching.
That blatantly selfish infraction was spotted, reviewed by the video assistant ref, and rightly punished with a red card that meant the United States would play more than 70 minutes with one fewer player than the opposition.
MORE: How USMNT suffered shock defeat to Panama
They played valiantly at times, but not successfully in the end.
"I can’t fault the effort of the group, especially after going down a man," U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter told reporters. "The guys dug in, and I thought we were close to coming out with a point. It’s a shame, because there was more in this game, and a silly decision by Timmy leaves us shorthanded. And then you have the whole thing that’s moving with the referee throughout the game … it led to some strange circumstances."
The U.S. had to get by with backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath for a half because starter Matt Turner was injured, and Horvath bore some responsibility for what became the game-winning Panama goal in the 83rd minute, scored by substitute Jose Fajardo.
"It was a disappointment. I think you could see by our reaction," striker Folarin Balogun told Fox Sports. "We felt there was a few things that went against us. Of course, the red card. We probably could have had a few decisions. But that’s the nature of the game. We just have to recover and prepare for the next one."
Turner was hurt when Panama’s Cesar Blackman charged into him as he fielded a high cross with both hands. He had no opportunity to defend himself. After striking the ground, Turner held his shoulder as if in considerable pain, and he left after the break with what was diagnosed as a leg contusion.
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There was a lot going on with that hit, but the punishment for Blackman’s recklessness? Why, nothing at all.
"The officiating in CONCACAF is so poor," former U.S. striker Jozy Altidore said on X. "Too many times we see refs in this region having no control over matches. A lot of these tackles and red cards could be prevented with proper officiating from the onset."
The officiating in CONCACAF is so poor. Too many times we see refs in this region having no control over matches. A lot of these tackles and red cards could be prevented with proper officiating from the onset.
— Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore) June 28, 2024
Balogun actually gave the USMNT a lead just five minutes after the ejection on a brilliant left-footed strike that rocketed off the right post and into the net.
Of course, that would not stand.
Three minutes later, US midfielder Gio Reyna was advancing the ball into the attack about 15 yards from the opposing box. He was knocked off the ball, quite literally, and Panama countered quickly. And of course it was Blackman’s deflected shot from 20 yards that soared inside the left post and beat Turner by a fingernail to tie the game at 1-1.
Max Bretos, who calls MLS games for Apple and hosts The Soccer OG podcast, called it a "clear foul" against Reyna. "This referee is letting Panama be as physical as they want," Bretos said in a Twitter post. "A disgrace."
Should not be a Panama 🇵🇦 goal, that was a clear foul on Gio Reyna at the other end.
— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) June 27, 2024
This referee is letting Panama be as physical as they want. A disgrace.
The USMNT held on for more than an hour, and a tie would have been almost glorious under the circumstances. Had they managed that result, they could have guaranteed advancement on Monday’s final day of group play with a draw or a win against favored Uruguay.
In the 83rd minute, though, Horvath chose to play it safe and not chase down a floated cross that was within his range. His decision not to field the ball led to a flurry of Panama chances that paid off when sub Abidel Ayarza rolled a pass into the box for Fajardo, who fired a sizzling shot that went right through Horvath’s gloves.
There still was time for the U.S. to draw even – seven minutes of regulation plus what figured to be a huge chunk of stoppage time because of the four substitution windows exercised and a lengthy VAR review that cleared U.S. defender Cameron Carter-Vickers of a possible penalty. And the math seemed to favor the Americans even more after Panama’s Aldaberto Carrasquilla hacked down Christian Pulisic with a brutal tackle that was tagged with a straight red card by Barton but required another long VAR review to confirm.
I checked the time on both reviews. The examination of the potential penalty lasted from 62:10 to 65:10. After being called for a red card at 87:06, Carrasquilla did not depart the field until 89:35, and the free kick that resulted from his foul was not taken until 89:55.
Basic math: Those two stretches comprise nearly six minutes.
Basic CONCACAF: As the 90th minute lapsed, Barton called for 4 minutes of stoppage time.
"Toward the end, it got a bit silly," Balogun told Fox. "It’s obviously the referee’s job to manage the match … and I didn’t think the way it finished was in a professional manner."
The U.S. now finds itself in something close to a must-win situation against Uruguay. Panama finishes group play at the same time against Bolivia. If both final games were to draw, the Americans still would advance on superior goal differential. But if Panama were to win then, a tie wouldn’t be enough.
It’s funny. Even when the USMNT plays in a South American tournament, it’s never far enough from the reach of CONCACAF.