Tim Weah apologizes for hot head moment that led to a red card against Panama

The U.S. men’s national team suffered a significant setback in their Copa America campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Panama.

The match’s turning point came early when Juventus winger Tim Weah received a red card in the 18th minute for striking Panama defender Roderick Miller.

Weah: I am deeply sorry

The incident left the USMNT playing with ten men for the majority of the game, contributing to their loss and complicating their path to advancing from the group stage.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter, who has faced his own share of criticism recently, described Weah’s action as a “silly decision” but also voiced frustrations with the officiating.

Teammate Tyler Adams revealed that Weah apologized to the team after the game, and Weah took to Instagram to issue a public apology.

“Today, I let my team and my country down. A moment of frustration led to an irreversible consequence, and for that, I am deeply sorry to my teammates, coaches, family and our fans. Moving forward, I am committed to learning from this experience, not allowing an opponent to provoke me, and working to regain the trust and respect of my team and supporters. No matter what I will always fight for my team and my country till the day I’m no longer needed or capable to. I sincerely apologize to everyone. My love for this team goes beyond just football and I’m so sad and angry at myself for putting my brothers through what they went through tonight,”Weah wrote.

USA will need to beat Uruguay to advance

This loss marks only the third time Panama has triumphed over the USA, with the all-time series now standing at 17-3-7 in favor of the United States.

Panama, under the guidance of Danish coach Thomas Christiansen, has seen significant improvement, climbing from 81st to 43rd in the FIFA World Rankings since 2020.

The teams split their World Cup qualifying matches in 2021-22, and Panama also bested the USA in the Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinal last year on penalty kicks.

Weah, earning his 41st cap for the USMNT at just 24 years old, remains a crucial player for the team’s future, especially alongside Christian Pulisic on the wing.

The USMNT’s fate in Copa America now hinges on their final group stage match against Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Simultaneously, Panama will face Bolivia in Orlando, Florida.

Historically, the USA has advanced past the group stage in two out of their four previous Copa America appearances, exiting early in 1993 and 2007 but reaching the semifinals in 1995 and 2016.

Soccer fans will be keenly watching to see if the USMNT can rally and secure their place in the next round, despite the setback in this match.