Published: 15:44, July 2, 2024
Panama beat Bolivia to reach Copa quarterfinals, US out
By Reuters
Bolivia's Hector Cuellar (top) heads the ball past Panama's Eric Davis during a Copa America Group C soccer match in Orlando, Florida, on July 1, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

ORLANDO, Florida - Panama beat Bolivia 3-1 on Monday to finish second in Group C and qualify for the Copa America quarterfinals after tournament hosts the United States were eliminated following a 1-0 loss to group winners Uruguay.

The win moved Panama, playing in only their second Copa America, up to second on six points, three more than the US, as the central American side reached the knockout stage for the first time.

Uruguay finished with nine points.

Panama's Cesar Yanis made sure of victory in the first minute of added time, blasting a right-footed shot into the top right corner after he was put through on goal, sparking wild celebrations at the Inter&Co Stadium

Jose Fajardo opened the scoring for Panama while substitutes Eduardo Guerrero and Cesar Yanis scored late to seal all three points, with Bolivia's lone goal coming from Bruno Miranda.

"Football is daily suffering, but today there was a lot at stake," Panama boss Thomas Christiansen told reporters. "We knew that not even a win guaranteed that we would make it to the quarterfinals after the first goal.

"Our performance dropped at times ... they (Bolivia) began to control the game and they scored. We started to get a bit more anxious.

"But we reacted quickly. Our players were able to overcome those odds and the substitutions made a huge difference."

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Bolivia's goalkeeper #23 Guillermo Viscarra fails to stop Panama's second goal during the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament group C football match between Bolivia and Panama at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Forida, on July 1, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

Bolivia needed a win with only a slim chance of staying alive in the tournament, but it was Panama who broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Cristian Martinez set up Fajardo.

The 30-year-old forward expertly controled Martinez's header into the box, let it bounce and volleyed the ball past Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra.

Bolivia equalized in the 69th minute when they cut through Panama's midfield and defense, with Ramiro Vaca finding Miranda, who slipped his shot past the keeper.

Bolivia nearly took the lead in the 78th minute when Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera ventured out of the box but Miguel Terceros's long-range effort was thwarted by the retreating Panama defense.

Panama's Jose Fajardo (center) attempts a shot on goal past Bolivia's Boris Cespedes during a Copa America Group C soccer match in Orlando, Florida, on July 1, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

A minute later, Panama wrested back control of qualification when Davis curled in a cross from the left and Guerrero connected with a glancing header - his first goal for his country.

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Yanis made sure of victory in the first minute of added time, blasting a right-footed shot into the top right corner after he was put through on goal, sparking wild celebrations at the Inter&Co Stadium.

While Panama wait to learn their quarterfinal opponents with Group D set to finish their games on Tuesday, Bolivia exit the tournament after three straight losses having conceded 10 goals and scoring just one.

Bolivia's midfielder #26 Adalid Terrazas and Panama's forward #21 Cesar Yanis vie for the ball during the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament group C football match between Bolivia and Panama at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Forida on July 1, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

"We need to leverage all the lessons we learned here in Copa America," Bolivia coach Antonio Carlos Zago said.

"This is a match where you cannot make a mistake and we made mistakes today, so we need to correct those errors.

READ MORE: Copa America: Uruguay routs Bolivia with 5-0 victory to reach quarterfinals

"We need to continue working and believe that everything is going to improve as a whole, so that in the future we are going to have a stronger and more competitive national team."