E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Brad Davis scored the winning penalty kick as the United States beat Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup after the two teams played 120 scoreless minutes in front of 31,018 at Giants Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The U.S., which won its third Gold Cup title, had a 3-1 edge in the penalty kick shootout.
Kasey Keller dived to his left to stop Luis Tejada's attempt to start the shootout and Santino Quaranta followed with a goal to the right of Panama 'keeper Jaime Penedo. After Jorge Luis Dely Valdes put the ball off the crossbar to Keller's left, Chris Armas had the chance to give the United States a commanding 2-0 lead. But his dreadful attempt sailed directly into Penedo's chest.
Felipe Baloy tied the shootout at 1-1 with a goal to Keller's left but Landon Donovan put the U.S. back in front with a low shot to Penedo's right. And when Alberto Blanco completely missed the net with Panama's fourth attempt, Davis was set to win the match.
The San Jose Earthquakes midfielder, once a member of the MetroStars, didn't strike the cleanest attempt. But he got enough on the ball to roll it to Penedo's left to win the Gold Cup for the United States in just his second cap.
Dely Valdes nearly put Panama in front in the sixth minute of the first of two 15-minute overtime periods when he chested the ball, cut the ball back on his left foot to avoid a sliding Jimmy Conrad and forced Keller to made a diving save to his right.
In the 102nd minute Tejada slid a pass to Alberto Blanco, but his shot from 12 yards out was just wide of the far post.
Panama, which upset South Africa and Colombia en route to the final, nearly stole the game in the 75th minute when Valdes took Angel Luis Rodriguez's cross and chipped the ball off the far post to Keller's right.
Four minutes later Clint Dempsey made a darting run down the right side of the field and crossed the ball in front from the endline, but Quaranta couldn't connect with the hard cross.
Eddie Pope, Pablo Mastroeni and Pat Noonan were out with sprained ankles while Steve Ralston missed the match with a mild concussion, all suffered in a 2-1 semifinal win over Honduras Thursday night.
Assistant coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick replaced suspended Bruce Arena, who was sent off in the 59th minute against Honduras.
Panama was without Ricardo Phillips, who scored twice in a 3-2 win over Colombia but was sent off Thursday night.
Panama nearly took an early lead when Tejada chipped the ball just wide of the far post after Julio Media ran onto a long ball and took a touch around Keller in the seventh minute.
Ten minutes later Panama's Baloy had a goal called back for being offside.
The best chances the United States had in the first half came as a result of set pieces. Jimmy Conrad flicked a Landon Donovan header wide in the 18th minute and in the 24th minute Conrad missed a sitter at the post following a John O'Brien shot.
Twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half the United States had opportunities, but Dempsey's header from eight yards out was pushed over the crossbar by Penedo in the 38th minute.
Three minutes later DaMarcus Beasley was freed towards goal by a Josh Wolff flick but again Penedo, who was named to the Gold Cup Best XI, made a point blank save.
In the 45th minute Panama's Gabriel Gomez blasted the ball just wide of Keller's right from 22 yards out.
Notes: Three Los Angeles Galaxy players received Gold Cup honors. Donovan was named to the Best XI, while defenders Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica) and Michael Umana (Costa Rica) were honorable mentions.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
