A slow start doomed the United States against Panama, slowing the Americans' usual march to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup.
Instead, the surprising Panamanians advanced to the next round of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the favourite on Saturday night.
Luis Tejada scored in the 19th minute and Gabriel Gomez converted a penalty kick later in the first half for Panama, which won for the first time in nine meetings ending the Americans 26 game unbeaten streak.
U.S., who had never lost a match in the group stage of any Gold Cup can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament that determines the champion for North and Central America and the Caribbean by beating Guadaloupe in its final Group C stage match Tuesday night in Kansas City.
Tejada finished a sequence that began with Nelson Barahona's free kick, tapping in a rebound after U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard lunged to get on a hand on Armando Cooper's header from left of the net. American Tim Ream's foul set up Gomez's penalty kick, which the Panamanian lifted over the diving Howard for a 2-0 lead in the 36th minute.
Clarence Goodson gave the U.S. hope for a dramatic comeback, scoring in the 68th minute. The Americans had a couple of opportunities pull even, but Chris Wondolowski missed a wide-open net in the 80th minute and Jaime Penedo made two of his six saves in injury time to help Panama hang on before a crowd of 27,731.
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