The finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup is finally set with the United States national team taking on Panama in Chicago as Soldier Field at 4 PM and the game will be streaming through FOX and offers the chance to the US to win their 11th match in a row, but they will have to do it without head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who was suspended after being ejected in the previous round against Honduras.
The team has been solid throughout the tournament and has been scoring consistently and over the past five games they have outscored opponents 19-4 and they are the favorites in the finals against Panama. The United States took care of El Salvador with ease to advance to the semi-finals, winning 5-1 on Sunday to advance in the Gold Cup against Honduras and behind Landon Donovan the team took care of business to get to the finals by winning 3-1. Klinsmann was suspended for the final due to his ejection at at the end of the match, but the players said that it wouldn't be an issue as they play in the finals since they know what they need to do and Klinsmann will be able to give them his game plan before the start of the match.
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Landon Donovan was the key in the semi-final win over Honduras after scoring two goals and helping set up a third and that was what powered the national team to the finals matchup in Chicago against Panama, who won 2-1 iver Mexico to advance to the finals. The national team has been playing very well recently and has won a team-record 10 games in a row and the squad is hoping to continue that heading into the finals against Panama. Donovan has been on a hot streak in the Gold Cup with five goals and he played every minute of the tournament until the end of that match and will be key for the US in the finals.
Donovan set up the first goal for the US when he found Eddie Johnson on the attack 11 minutes into the match for a 1-0 lead and later Donovan added the second goal of the game to go up 2-0 before Honduras added a goal at the 52nd minute. Donovan put in the third goal soon after and by the end of the match Klinsmann let some frustrations about fouls in the match and after slamming a ball and getting ejected, he finds himself on the sidelines for the finals. Donovan is tied with teammate Chris Wondolowski for scoring in the tournament and he will play up front alongside Donovan and Johnson.
The way the US is playing it shouldn't matter much and the team should feel good heading into the final matchup of the tournament. DaMarcus Beasley said that the team shouldn't have any problems without Klinsmann in the fold and he said that understood the frustration and felt it himself too the way the game was called by the referees. The United States want to keep their record streak going and will be coached by assistants Andreas Hertzog and Martin Vasquez and are taking on a team that has won four times in the last five games. The other leading scorer in the tournament is Gabriel Torres of Panama and depending on if anyone scores in this matchup, they will finish tied as leading scorers for the tournament.