The US Men’s National Team finished their run through Group D of the Gold Cup with a perfect record of 3 wins, 0 draws, and 0 losses after squeaking past Panama with a 1-0 victory in Kansas City on Wednesday night.
The USMNT didn’t allow a goal in their three games of the group stage play, finishing with a perfect 11-0 goal differential. While none of the three opponents that the US defeated are soccer powerhouses, it was a crucial confidence booster for a team that has appeared down since failing to qualify for last year’s World Cup.
The United States beat Panama on the strength of a fantastic bicycle kick goal by long-time USMNT member Jozy Altidore. He performed the acrobatic move in the 66th minute of the match, scoring his 42nd career goal for the USA.
The Americans played strong defense all night and prevented Panama than creating more than a small handful of chances. It wasn’t the most dominant victory in the history of the sport, but the Stars and Stripes accomplished their objective of a first-place finish in group play.
A quarterfinal matchup against Curaçao on Sunday will be the USMNT’s next test.
