Cecilio Waterman scored a stunning goal in the fourth minute of second-half injury time, and Panama beat the three-time defending champion United States 1-0 on Thursday night to reach the CONCACAF Nations League final.
Waterman took a pass down the right side from Adalberto Carrasquilla in front of a packed-in U.S. defense and fired a perfect right-footed diagonal shot past Matt Turner into the far left corner. Waterman’s 11th international goal, on Panama’s only shot on target on the night, advanced the Panamanians to a final Sunday against Mexico or Canada.
Waterman, a 33-year-old striker who plays professionally in Chile, ripped off his jersey and hurdled the advertising end boards before jumping onto a broadcast stage to celebrate with French great Thierry Henry, who looked just as stunned as the rest of the crowd at SoFi Stadium.
Panama beat the U.S. for the third straight time in competitive matches following wins in a 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal and the …