We sat through 3 bad USMNT games, but now the good part of Gold Cup starts

There’s no reason to sugarcoat the Gold Cup match between the United States and Panama on Monday -- it wasn’t fun. Neither were the Americans’ previous two games. But they drew 1-1 despite trying out another random team, won their group comfortably and now get a chance to fight for a continental championship.

Gold Cup group stages are usually a slog, and this one was no different, with the U.S. getting drawn into the tournament’s toughest group. Jurgen Klinsmann rested Clint Dempsey in the first half of the final group game, didn’t play Jozy Altidore at all and got a point from a game played in a heat advisory. If the U.S. had lost, they still would have topped their group. All things considered, this result was fine.

Panama’s goal came in the 34th minute when Ventura Alvarado was exposed again, getting turned by Luis Tejada. He found Blas Pérez, who had lost John Brooks. It was ugly stuff.

Not wanting his team to suffer a confidence-crushing, tire fire loss, Klinsmann brought on Dempsey for Chris Wondolowski to start the second half, and it only took him 10 minutes to create a goal. He poked a ball out wide for Alejandro Bedoya, who squared for Michael Bradley to tap in. Each team had some half-chances after that, but looked mostly content to ride out the draw.

Now the real tournament starts. Klinsmann can make up to six changes to his roster, and he’ll probably use quite a few of them. Their opponent is to be determined, but it’ll probably be El Salvador. Costa Rica possibly awaits them in the semifinal. Klinsmann can’t screw around anymore, and has to figure out who to get rid of, as well as where he wants to play Bradley and Dempsey.

Nothing is boring from now on. Either we play well or we bite our nails. The experimental phase is done and the real Gold Cup is here.

Goals: Bradley (55’)

Panama: Penedo, Cummings, Torres, Cooper, Davis, Pimentel (Camargo 62’), Gonez, Quintero (Arroyo 86’), Godoy, Tejada (Nurse 71’), Perez

Goals: Perez (34’)

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