The U.S. National Team’s run in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup came to a crashing conclusion on Saturday in a shootout loss to Panama in the third-place match at PPL Park in Philadelphia, ending a largely disappointing tournament for a team that came in with expectations of winning the Gold Cup and qualifying for the 2017 Confederations Cup. Those tournament hopes are still alive, as the U.S. will face 2015 Gold Cup champions Mexico on October 9 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., with a berth in the Confederations Cup on the line.
The U.S. went 3-1-2 in the tournament, winning the Group Stage at 2-0-1 and thrashing Cuba 6-0 before dropping a crucial result to Jamaica 2-1 in the semifinal, then going to a shootout before losing to Panama in the third-place match.
In the tournament, Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman logged 299 minutes in five appearances. He started four matches in the midfield and only did not appear in the third-place match. The defeat to Jamaica marked RSL’s captain’s 50th cap with the U.S. National Team.
Beckerman will now rejoin Real Salt Lake in preparation for a grueling stretch of five matches in 15 days that opens Saturday against D.C. United at RFK Stadium. GK Nick Rimando will also rejoin the team later this week after the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. Rimando was voted to the Fan XI and will be joined in the match against Tottenham Hotspur by RSL defender Tony Beltran.
