Crystal Palace and Fulham defenders start for USA in shock defeat

BY LARRY HENRY JR

Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards, and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream all started for the United States in their shock 2-1 loss to Concacaf rivals Panama in Atlanta last Thursday.

The result puts the Americans’ knockout stage hopes under major worry heading into Monday’s group stage finale vs. Uruguay.

VAR played an impactful role in the match, starting with Weston McKennie’s chalked-off goal in the fifth minute.

Richards’ header off of a Christian Pulisic free-kick was pushed off the bar by Panama’s Orlando Mosquera before Ream set up McKennie for a top-shelf finish.

However, VAR ruled that Ream was offside before he played the pass to McKennie, negating a 1-0 lead for the Americans.

Tim Weah’s punch on Roderick Miller in the 19th minute was elevated from a yellow card to a red card, putting the Americans down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Folarin Balogun boosted the USMNT in front three minutes later after a confident left-footed strike off the right post and in. Robinson stole possession in the attacking third before laying off a pass that Balogun powered into the back of the net.

Panama battled back, though, in the 26th minute through Cesar Blackman’s shot that deflected in off of Richards’ trailing leg.

Jose Fajardo’s 83rd-minute volley proved to be the deciding goal as the USMNT suffered their third loss in the past four years to Panama in three different competitions.

Both Robinson and Richards went the distance in the USMNT backline while Ream was replaced by Josh Sargent in the 86th minute.

The USMNT now faces Uruguay on June 1 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, knowing group stage elimination would mark a major failure on home soil.