Copa America: Panama stun United States; Uruguay rout Bolivia

Atlanta: Jose Fajardo scored late as Panama kept alive its hopes of reaching the Copa America quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over the United States on late Thursday night.

The tournament host was reduced to 10-men in the 18th minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Timothy Weah was shown a straight red card for a violent challenge on Roderick Miller.

Despite the setback, the United States went ahead four minutes later through Folarin Balogun, who combined with Antonee Robinson before firing a left-footed shot into the top-right corner, reports Xinhua.

Right-back Cesar Blackman equalized almost immediately by beating goalkeeper Matt Turner with a low effort from outside the 18-yard box.

Panama controlled around 75% of possession and completed almost three times as many passes as the United States, who were content to sit back and hit their opponents on the counterattack.

The Central American team had other ideas, however, and Fajardo doubled the lead by slotting home from 12 yards following Abdiel Ayarza’s pass.

The match took another turn after Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla scythed down Christian Pulisic two minutes from time, an offense that earned the Houston Dynamo midfielder a straight red card.

But Panama withstood the late pressure to clinch its first win of the tournament. Thomas Christiansen’s men are now third in Group C, equal on points with Uruguay and the United States but with an inferior goal difference.

Moreover, Darwin Nunez extended his rich vein of form as Uruguay secured a place in the Copa America knockout phase with a 5-0 victory of Bolivia.

Facundo Pellistri gave the Celeste a perfect start at MetLife Stadium by nodding home from close range in the eighth minute after Ronald Araujo’s headed cross.

Nunez doubled the lead as he ran onto Maximiliano Araujo’s through ball and lashed a first-time effort past goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra. The Liverpool striker now has 10 goals in his past seven international appearances.

Araujo then latched onto Nicolas de la Cruz’s perfectly weighted pass by slotting a shot that ricochetted in off Viscarra’s legs.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde made it 4-0 by expertly directing the ball into the bottom-left corner after Pellistri’s cross from the right side of the penalty area.

Rodrigo Bentancur, an 86th-minute replacement for Valverde, completed the rout when he headed home at the far post after Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s floating cross from the left flank. Agencies

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