Juan Agudelo (L) of US and Felipe Baloy Ramirez (C) of Panama fight for the ball during their CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on June 11, 2011. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Luis Tejada scored in the 19th minute and Gabriel Gomez converted a penalty kick later in the first half, helping Panama stun the United States 2-1 on Saturday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup.
The victory was the first for the Panamanians in nine meetings with the Americans, who had never lost a match in the group stage of any Gold Cup, the tournament that determines the champion for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Despite the loss, the U.S. can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals by beating Guadaloupe in its final Group C stage match Tuesday night in Kansas City.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
