Panama is going to the World Cup and the United States is not, all because of Roman Torres. The Seattle Sounders center back scored an 88th minute goal to give Panama a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica to secure their spot in the World Cup for the first time ever. Combined with the United States’ 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras’ come-from-behind 3-2 win over Mexico, that means the USA is out of the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
GRITALOOO CON EL ALMA Panamá GOOOLLL⚽️⚽️ de Román Torres y estan en el primer mundial de su historia INCREÍBLE pic.twitter.com/0fzeHBPJ6K
— 90 Minut⚽️s México (@90MinutosMexico) October 11, 2017
Panama’s decisive goal came with Torres playing high up the field, something we’ve become accustomed to seeing him do for both club and country. Torres was able to get behind the Costa Rica defense on a flicked header and hit his shot first-time. The goal set off a wild celebration with Torres ripping off his shirt, waving it around and heading toward a massive cardboard cutoff of his head that was on the sideline.
Panama had equalized earlier when Blas Perez was credited with a goal that replays showed never crossed the goal-line.