WASHINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) — The United States enjoyed a thrilling 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final win on Sunday, edging Panama 1-0 thanks to the 69th minute goal from Brek Shea.
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Shea made his second and so far the most important international goal for the U.S., tipping in a goal in the easiest way just 42 seconds after introduced onto the field as a substitute.
“It doesn’t matter who scored today,” said Shea, who helped the U.S. to bag the fifth Gold Cup title. “We won.” The victory was also meaningful for team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, an German legendary striker who won the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships as a player. This was his first international title as a coach. |
“They wanted to send out a signal that they are the best group in CONCACAF, and they are,” said Klinsmann.
Landon Donovan didn’t score in the final match, but the contribution of five goals and seven assists was good enough for the veteran to take home the MVP award of the tournament.
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Panama focused on the defensive side in the first half, and the U.S. was unable to create enough threat to Panama goalkeeper. The substitution of Shea changed the match, he appeared on the most comfortable position to reflect a shot from Donovan to the goal.
Panama failed to score in the last twenty minutes, swallowing the loss in the second Gold Cup final experience in the team history. The U.S. would meet the 2015 Gold Cup winner in the playoff for a berth in 2017 Confederations Cup. If the U.S. wins Gold Cup again in 2015, the team would directly qualify for Confederations Cup. |