Gold Cup: U.S. draws Panama despite another underwhelming performance

At some point, the United States Men's National Team is going to have to improve at the Gold Cup.

Simply put, the type of football that Jurgen Klinsmann's side produced in the group stage isn't capable of allowing the team to defend its title.

That being said ...

Already assured of top spot in Group A going into Monday's fixture against Panama despite two lackluster performances in its first two matches, the U.S. capped off its group-stage campaign with a 1-1 draw. The battle featured end-to-end entertainment, but also a distinct lack of quality from a squad that reached the round of 16 at last year's World Cup.

Once again, the U.S. was a train wreck in terms of creativity, struggling to create chances of its own and finding itself out-shot 20-11 by the final whistle.

Of course, this is nothing new, as the U.S. - despite going undefeated in the group stage and topping Group A - has been out-shot 50-21 in its first three games of the competition.

Oh, and if supporters are under the illusion that supreme defense is how the U.S. continues to escape with positive results, that's far from the case. Its backline looked incredibly shaky throughout the draw, and the centre-back pairing of Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks was a disaster for the most part.

Nonetheless, the Americans are in the quarterfinals and will take on one of the third-placed teams from Group B and Group C.

Here's what you need to know from the dramatic draw at Sporting Park:

The Goals

34th minute - Blas Perez, Panama: The U.S. could honestly learn a thing or two from Panama's prolific duo of Blas Perez and Luis Tejada, who teamed up to open the scoring in telepathic fashion. In what was a just reward for Los Canaleros' first-half pressure, Tejada shook off Ventura Alvarado with relative ease before playing a perfect pass for his partner in crime, Perez.

55th minute - Michael Bradley, U.S.: When it was beginning to look like the U.S. might finally pay the price for an inability to create in the final third, Alejandro Bedoya - playing in his first game of the Gold Cup due to a nagging knee injury - curled a precision-perfect pass to Michael Bradley, who volleyed home the equaliser from inside Panama's six-yard box.

Man of the Match - Alejandro Bedoya

Give it up for Bedoya, who was a bright spot in an otherwise ugly performance from the U.S.

Making his first appearance at the Gold Cup due to a knee injury that required him to visit five different doctors, the 28-year-old attacking midfielder was the only player to trouble Panama's backline and manufacture opportunities for the Americans.

He was also unlikely to not earn a free kick when he found himself clear on goal and was clipped by Harold Cummings, who probably should have earned a red card for this sloppy effort.

It should come as no surprise that he was the one to assist Bradley's goal, and Klinsmann was quick to praise his performance after the final whistle.

The 1,000 Words

"The sky provided the beauty that the U.S. could not."

Stray Thoughts

• Not once was the U.S. the better team in the group stage. Following three matches in which they didn't deserve three points, Jurgen Klinsmann needs to re-evaluate what four defenders form his best backline and what player can provide a creative spark in front of goal.
• There should be no doubts over just how vital Clint Dempsey is to the U.S. Upon taking the pitch at the interval, the U.S. instantly improved.

• Panama, who drew all three of its matches in the group stage, will advance to the quarterfinals if Jamaica and Costa Rica defeat El Salvador and Canada, respectively, on Tuesday. If that doesn't happen, they could then progress if Cuba earns an unlikely win or draw versus Guatemala on Wednesday.