By Dylan Butler
PHILADELPHIA - An extra time penalty kick by Kenny Cooper lifted the United States to a 2-1 win against Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals in front of a crowd of 31,087 at Lincoln Financial Field Saturday night.
The United States advanced to a rematch against Honduras, which defeated Canada 1-0 in the first game of the doubleheader, on Thursday at Chicago's Soldier Field. The United States beat Honduras 2-0 in group play.
"Obviously, it's fortunate any time you can get a penalty," Cooper said. "It obviously came at a good time in overtime. Fortunately it snuck in and the guys did great to hold on defensively, the whole 90, everyone from Brian Ching to Troy Perkins."
Mexican referee Benito Archundia pointed to the spot after Panamanian defender Roman Torres kicked Cooper in the stomach on a challenge in the box. Cooper stepped to the spot and put his penalty off the post to goalkeeper Jaime Penedo's right.
It was a decision that Panama vehemently disputed, especially after the game when Felipe Baloy was shown a second yellow card and Luis Tejada a straight red for pursing Archundia across the field to vent their frustration.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game and obviously we don't like to lose a game like that," Panama coach Gary Stempel said. "It's a shame that two games today had to be decided by very, very dubious decisions, especially the U.S. penalty. I didn't see it."
Panama took the lead at the stroke of halftime when Blas Perez pounced on a bounding ball in the box and blasted it past Troy Perkins for his tournament-leading third goal.
Felipe Baloy headed Jorge Garces' corner toward the far post, where the ball deflected off the foot of Chad Marshall and Stuart Holden's chest. Perez swooped in and fired the ball home.
The U.S. didn't panic at halftime.
"We were definitely disappointed to give up a goal before the half, it's the worst time," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "But we got into halftime and Bob told us we were in a game, a tough game…He told everybody to step up and play a little bit better and we'll start to get our chances."
Just four minutes into the second half, the Americans equalized on Beckerman's first international goal. Davy Arnaud chased down a Robbie Rogers cross deep in the box and laid it off. Beckerman pounced and hit a rocket from the edge of the 18-yard box.
"I just went and gambled a bit, went to the top of the box and (thought) this might pop out," Beckerman said. "Sometimes you gamble and sure enough the ball finds your foot. Fortunately it went in."
In the 53rd minute, Holden nearly put the United States ahead, but his low shot bounced just wide of the far post from 16 meters.
Ten minutes later, Ching found space, dribbled into the box, cut inside of a defender, but fired just over the crossbar from 15 meters. Archundia then booked Baloy for leveling Holden at midfield.
In the 77th minute, Holden took the ball off his chest and shoot from the top of the 18-yard box, but his attempt deflected off a Panama player.
Three minutes later, Rogers served a sublime ball into the box, but Cooper, who came on for Davy Arnaud in the 77th minute, headed wide of the net from eight yards.
In the 86th minute, Cooper again had an open attempt in the box, this time off a cross by Jay Heaps, but the FC Dallas forward's glancing header was easily saved by Penedo.
Heath Pearce had the first scoring opportunity of the two, 15-minute extra time sessions when he took a pass from Beckerman and fired on target from 20 meters, forcing Penedo to dive to his right to make the save.
The United States had the first quality chance of the game when Ching headed Holden's free kick off the right post from eight yards in the eighth minute.
In the 41st minute, the U.S. lost central defender Jimmy Conrad, who was bloodied and dazed after a colliding heads with what appeared to be Perez. Conrad was later taken to a local hospital with a concussion and the United States played with 10 men until Clarence Goodson came on the field four minutes later.
The physical match had 39 combined fouls and six cautions.
"The coaching staff told us to prepare for a physical game and we responded well," Ching said. "We didn't get caught up in any business and we got the job done at the end of the day."
It was the third consecutive meeting between the two teams in the CONCACAF Gold Cup knockout stages and second time the game wasn't decided during regulation. The two teams played 120 scoreless minutes before the United States captured the 2005 final on penalties.
"The mentality of the players was they were going to take care of this thing," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "I think they deserve a lot of credit for that."
