A nightmare World Cup cycle for the USMNT came to an end tonight, as a 2-1 U.S. loss to Trinidad and Tobago, coupled with wins by Panama and Honduras, eliminated the Americans from the competition.
While the U.S. did themselves no favors with an atrocious performance in Trinidad, their fate was decided by a referee in Panama City. Panama’s 2-1 win over Costa Rica came in part from a phantom equalizer, credited to Gabriel Torres, that never actually crossed the line.
This is the first time since 1986 that the U.S. men have not made the World Cup.