In Atlanta, the Central Americans celebrated 2-1: Weah was sent off at home, Balogun started it and Blackman and Fajardo turned it around for the team that then suffered a red card for Carrasquilla.

It had everything, the Central Americans got into the fight to advance to the quarterfinals in the zone completed by Uruguay and Bolivia.

The match started with Panama trying to surprise with a bicycle kick from Edgar Bárcenas that went high, and continued moving after four minutes when the local team converted, celebrated… and the VAR blocked the goal. Chris Richards headed with a slight deflection to the crossbar, Tim Ream touched behind and Weston McKennie captured the rebound with a high sword; but the video assistant did not validate Ream’s offside action.

At 17 minutes, another play changed the game when the VAR warned that Tim Weah had hit Roderick Miller without the ball, for which he deserved the expulsion. However, with one less, at 21 Gregg Berhalter’s team took the lead. Antonee Robinson recovered from the left after the team’s high pressure, touched Folarin Balogun twice and he scored at the gates of the area high and at the far post for a great goal.

But immediately, the visitor reacted with César Blackman running over in the crescent, recovering despite the rejection and defining low and to the right post of Matt Turner. The development continued close but without any surprises until, in the last one before the break, Balagun (forward?) crashed a shot into the corner.

At the beginning of the complement, Edgardo Fariña demanded Ethan Horvath, the replacement goalkeeper at halftime for the injured Turner. Later, referee Iván Barton awarded a penalty from Cameron Carter-Vickers to José Fajardo – both admitted – but the VAR saved him by calling him to show him that there had been no contact on the Panamanian’s humanity.

With the visit launched to take advantage of the extra man against a rival that could not match even with the changes, at 37 in a great collective action Fajardo received from the right of another replacement, Abdiel Ayarza, and with a first-time shot high and at the first post achieved the prize for Panama. In a frantic final few minutes, Thomas Christiansen’s men dedicated themselves to defending the advantage with pure strong legs and from that series of fouls Adalberto Carrasquilla was sent off in the 42nd minute for assisting Christian Pulisic.

It was final in Atlanta between the doubts of the United States – they will have to face Marcelo Bielsa’s Celeste – and the certainties of a Panama that is excited about the hit.