Controversy continues to cloud Gold Cup after Mexico-Panama fiasco

The 2015 Gold Cup has turned into another unfortunate episode in CONCACAF's shaky history. Once endearing, the tournament's controversy has now taken an embarrassing tone.

CHESTER, Pa.—For the first 10 days of this CONCACAF Gold Cup, the day-to-day tournament organizers appeared to be pulling off an impressive feat: Even though the crooked men in charge of CONCACAF were either in jail or fired in disgrace, even though the soccer region’s governance was in shambles, the biannual tournament was actually coming off O.K.

The games were happening. The stadiums were mostly full. And the stench that surrounds the name CONCACAF was, if not removed, then at least mitigated by the presence of the national teams and players, who have no choice over their misfortune to be associated with the dirtiest confederation in world soccer over the last two decades.

See, that’s the thing with FIFA and CONCACAF. The game itself—this great sport and its talented players—almost always transcends the despicable behavior of those who run the show. What’s more, there are good people at FIFA and CONCACAF who work hard every day to make sure events like the Women’s World Cup and the Gold Cup run smoothly. From a financial perspective, at least, both big summer events will end up doing well.

• MORE GOLD CUP: Full results, schedule | CONCACAF penalizes Panama

But in the past week, as this Gold Cup has gone off the rails, we have now seen how the scandal engulfing FIFA and CONCACAF can turn a soccer tournament into a disaster as well.

Last Sunday the nosedive began when regional heavyweight Mexico was given a 121st-minute penalty to beat Costa Rica—a penalty that was outrageous for three reasons: 1) It wasn’t close to being a penalty, 2) There was no reason to have had that much added time, and 3) the fouled player, Oribe Peralta, should have been sent off minutes earlier for his own red card-worthy foul.

Mexico advances to Gold Cup final after chaotic, ugly semifinal show

Then on Wednesday night in Atlanta, the Mexico-Panama Gold Cup semifinal turned into the ugliest game I have ever seen on U.S. soil since I started covering the sport in 1996. U.S. referee Mark Geiger sent off Panama’s Luis Tejada in the first half for a high elbow that should have drawn no more than a yellow card. When 10-man Panama scored to take the lead, Mexican-American fans rained projectiles down onto the celebrating Panamanian players (just as they had thrown garbage at Trinidad & Tobago players at an earlier game in Charlotte).

With Mexico on the brink of elimination, Geiger whistled a phantom penalty in Mexico’s favor in the 89th minute and called for another spot kick (this one legit) in extra time. When the final whistle blew on Mexico’s win, a horde of Panamanian players rushed at Geiger while stadium security officials were inexplicably slow or unable to react (just as they had been with the unruly fans that night).

After the game, the Panamanian players posed for a team picture with a banner reading (translated): CONCACAF THIEVES. CORRUPT!

Let me be clear: No referee, including one that has had a brutally bad game, should ever feel in danger for his safety. And while I can’t say anything with 100% certainty in today’s world of FIFA and CONCACAF, just because a referee makes some huge mistakes doesn’t mean that he’s being paid off or part of a conspiracy.

Yet that’s exactly what the Panamanian soccer federation president alleged at a press conference on Friday: That the fix was in.

“We perceive that this match was manipulated, and not by the Mexican federation, but there are interested third parties,” said Panama FA president Pedro Chaluja. “The bad refereeing decisions were deliberate and with the intention of protecting the third parties. These events can only be decrypted if FIFA and CONCACAF join together to carry out a thorough investigation into the development that referee Mark Geiger was so unfavorable and ended up robbing the victory and the dreams of all Panamanians.”

• MORE GOLD CUP: Panama wants CONCACAF Referee Committee to resign

CONCACAF issued a press release saying it had received official protests from the Panama and Costa Rica federations and that it “takes these claims extremely seriously and will look into them immediately.”

But two of CONCACAF’s biggest problems are simple: 1) Its track record in clean governance is horrible, and 2) It has a complete leadership vacuum right now.

Why is the Panamanian team holding up a banner that says CONCACAF THIEVES? Well, maybe it’s because Jeffrey Webb, who was the CONCACAF president until late May, has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for pocketing millions of dollars in a widespread corruption scheme? (Webb has pleaded not guilty.) Or maybe it’s because former CONCACAF president Jack Warner has been indicted for doing the same things?

Or maybe it’s because former CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer has already pleaded guilty to similar charges of racketeering, wire fraud and corruption conspiracies?

USA seeks a silver lining playing for unfulfilling Gold Cup bronze

We know that match-fixing has taken place in previous Gold Cups, so you can understand why there would be widespread suspicion this time around.

What’s remarkable is that none of CONCACAF’s new leadership has stepped forward in the last few days to, you know, lead publicly. The interim president of CONCACAF is a Honduran named Alfredo Hawit. He hasn’t said anything publicly yet. The CONCACAF Executive Committee has eight members. Only one of them has organized a press conference here to address the miasma of Wednesday night—and that was the guy (Chaluja) who said the game was fixed!

One of the CONCACAF executive committee members, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, has been willing to speak to the media just twice since the big arrest day of FIFA officials on May 27: Once a couple days later to explain how he was voting in the FIFA presidential election, and once immediately after the U.S. won the Women’s World Cup, knowing the questions would be about that and not about the FIFA and CONCACAF scandal. Other than that, he has shut down any and all interview requests, including one from a U.S. Senate subcommittee on the FIFA scandal.

Is it any wonder that this Gold Cup feels like it’s adrift?

• PODCAST: Making sense of, processing Gold Cup semifinal chaos

It’s also important to note that just because the Gold Cup makes money doesn’t mean that it’s “successful.” The pursuit of lucre has caused all sorts of bad choices to be made that compromise integrity, to wit:

• The Gold Cup takes place every two years, instead of every four, as should be the case.

• Gold Cup games are often played on awful temporary grass fields that hurt the quality of the game, all so more tickets can be sold in bigger stadiums.

• There is never a random draw to fill out the groups and brackets. Why? Well, the bracket is engineered—some would say rigged—to give the best chance of producing a U.S.-Mexico final (which means more tickets sold and higher TV ratings).

• The tournament has too many venues—14 stadiums for 12 teams! That helps make sure the money comes in, but as a result the travel for teams is insane.

• The Gold Cup takes place in the U.S. every time. That may produce the most revenues, but it’s time we saw a Gold Cup held entirely in Canada or Mexico or perhaps a tournament shared by, say, Costa Rica and Panama (two excellent tourist destinations, by the way).

Then there’s the issue of punishing fans for throwing projectiles and garbage at opposing teams. We saw it with fans of the Mexican team not just in Charlotte but in Atlanta. I can understand why it’s hard to punish the Mexican team and federation for fan behavior at games they aren’t hosting.

But how often have we seen Mexican fans throw things at opposing teams (including the U.S.) at CONCACAF games in the Estadio Azteca? Quite a bit. And how often have punishments come for that? Not often. That would set a tone extending to the Gold Cup that such behavior won’t be tolerated. Nor does it help that the security CONCACAF hires for the Gold Cup is woefully understaffed underprepared and underperforming.

• MORE: SI one-on-one exclusive with Zlatan Ibrahimovic

As for the bad refereeing calls this week, the unsexy solutions are to improve referee training and support the idea of limited video review of game-changing calls. The introduction of goal-line technology has helped world soccer. So would video review as long as it’s done in a similarly thought-out way.

For now, though, we’re left with a Gold Cup whose vibe matches the one that has engulfed CONCACAF ever since the arrests of FIFA and CONCACAF officials on May 27. Earlier this week, U.S. captain Michael Bradley said the Gold Cup was endearingly ridiculous for many of the reasons listed above.

But the truth is that it’s no endearing anymore. It’s embarrassing.

GALLERY: U.S. Soccer in 2015

The Year in Photos: U.S. Soccer in 2015

U.S. U-20 vs. El Salvador, January 24

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Paul Arriola (7) celebrates his goal in a World Cup qualifying playoff match vs. El Salvador. The U.S. U-20s cemented their place in the World Cup with a 2-0 win. They drew host New Zealand, Ukraine and Myanmar in their summer group.

USMNT vs. Chile, January 28

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Bobby Wood flies high in the USA's 3-2 loss to Chile, which opened the calendar year for the national team. Brek Shea and Jozy Altidore scored in the loss.

USMNT vs. Panama, February 8

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Gyasi Zardes and Clint Dempsey celebrate after combining for a goal against Panama at StubHub Center to cap off winter training camp with a 2-0 victory.

USWNT vs. France, February 8

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Lori Chalupny (left) and the USWNT had a tough time keeping pace with Jessica Houara (center) and France in a 2-0 loss in a friendly in Lorient. The match was the first of two played without suspended goalkeeper Hope Solo.

USWNT vs. England, February 13

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Alex Morgan celebrates scoring the lone goal in the USWNT's 1-0 win over England in a friendly at Stadium mk in Milton Keynes.

USWNT vs. Norway, March 4

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The USWNT opens the Algarve Cup with a 2-1 win over Norway, marking Hope Solo's return from a 30-day suspension with a come-from-behind victory. Carli Lloyd scored both goals for the Americans.

USWNT vs. Switzerland, March 6

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Alex Morgan celebrates her goal in the USWNT's 3-0 win over Switzerland in the Algarve Cup group stage.

USWNT vs. Iceland, March 9

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Alex Morgan and the USWNT were frustrated by Iceland, held to a 0-0 draw to wrap up group play at the Algarve Cup. The result was still enough to put the Americans in the final against France.

USWNT vs. France, March 11

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The U.S. women's national team celebrates winning the Algarve Cup after a 2-0 triumph over France. Julie Johnston and Christen Press scored, and Hope Solo saved a penalty kick.

U.S. U-17 vs. Jamaica, March 15

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The U.S. U-17 national team celebrates qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup after defeating Jamaica on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw in a playoff match.

USMNT vs. Denmark, March 25

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U.S. goalkeeper Nick Rimando expresses his frustration after one of Nicklas Bendtner's three goals in Denmark's 3-2 win over the Americans. Jozy Altidore and Aron Johannsson scored for the USA.

USMNT vs. Switzerland, March 31

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Jozy Altidore watches as Brek Shea hits a perfect free kick to put the USA on the board against Switzerland. The Americans settled for a 1-1 draw.

USWNT vs. New Zealand, April 4

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Lori Chalupny (16) celebrates her goal vs. New Zealand with Lauren Holiday at St. Louis's Busch Stadium. The goal opened the floodgates for a late outburst en route to a 4-0 U.S. victory in front of more than 35,000 fans.

USMNT vs. Mexico, April 15

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Jordan Morris etched his name in U.S.-Mexico lore, as the Stanford University forward scored in his first senior national team start to break a scoreless draw against El Tri at the Alamodome.

USMNT vs. Mexico, April 15

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Juan Agudelo collapses to the ground in celebration after his goal at the Alamodome gave the USA a familiar lead over Mexico: Dos-a-Cero.

U.S. U-23 vs. Mexico, April 22

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Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil captains the USA to a 3-0 win over Mexico at StubHub Center in Olympic qualifying preparation for both CONCACAF favorites.

USWNT vs. Ireland, May 10

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Abby Wambach celebrates one of her two goals vs. Ireland as the USWNT took a 3-0 win on Mother's Day at Avaya Stadium.

USWNT vs. Mexico, May 17

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Sydney Leroux is congratulated by her teammates after one of her two goals in a 5-1 pre-World Cup rout of Mexico at StubHub Center.

U.S. U-20 vs. Myanmar, May 30

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Maki Tall celebrates his equalizer for the USA as part of a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Myanmar to open the U-20 World Cup group stage in New Zealand.

USWNT vs. South Korea, May 30

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Carli Lloyd gets off a shot through traffic in the USA's final World Cup send-off friendly, a 0-0 draw against South Korea at Red Bull Arena.

U.S. U-23 in Toulon Tournament, May-June

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Alonso Hernandez, left, takes on Qatar, while Julian Green, right, vies for the ball against France in the Toulon Tournament as part of Olympic qualifying preparations.

U.S. U-20 vs. New Zealand, June 2

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Gedion Zelalem controls the ball against New Zealand in the USA's 4-0 win that cemented a place in the U-20 World Cup knockout stage.

U.S. U-20 vs. Ukraine, June 5

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From left, Joel Soñora, Gedion Zelalem and Rubio Rubin show frustration during a 3-0 loss to Ukraine that wrapped up group play in the U-20 World Cup.

USMNT vs. Netherlands, June 5

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DeAndre Yedlin and Danny Williams salute each other after the latter's goal–his first international strike–brought the U.S. level with the Netherlands at 3-3 in the 89th minute.

USMNT vs. Netherlands, June 5

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Bobby Wood puts the finishing touch on an epic comeback, with his 90th-minute strike capping a wild 4-3 win for the USA over the Netherlands. The USA trailed 3-1 in the 71st minute.

U.S. U-23 vs. England, June 7

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USA defender Boyd Okwuonu makes a tackle on England's Duncan Watmore in the Toulon Tournament third-place game. The U.S. U-23s won 2-1, sealing their best finish in the tournament.

USWNT vs. Australia, June 8, WWC

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Megan Rapinoe lets out a yell after her second goal, which sealed the USA's 3-1 win over Australia to open Group D play in the Women's World Cup.

U.S. U-20 vs. Colombia, June 10

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Rubio Rubin celebrates the goal that gives the USA a 1-0 win over Colombia in the FIFA U-20 World Cup round of 16. Zack Steffen's late penalty save preserved the win, as the Americans reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2007.

USMNT vs. Germany, June 10

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Michael Bradley was everywhere against World Cup champion Germany, assisting on Mix Diskerud's equalizer and commanding the midfield in a 2-1 win in Cologne.

USMNT vs. Germany, June 10

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For the second straight game, Bobby Wood came off the bench and scored a stunning winner. He watches his long-range blast beat Ron-Robert Zieler in a 2-1 win over world No. 1 Germany.

USWNT vs. Sweden, June 12

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Julie Johnston wins the header in a dominant showing on the U.S. back line, helping the Americans preserve a 0-0 draw against Sweden in the second game of the Women's World Cup group stage.

U.S. U-20 vs. Serbia, June 13

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U.S. players' emotions say it all after a gut-wrenching loss to Serbia in penalty kicks at the U-20 World Cup. After a 0-0 draw, the Americans fell 6-5 in PKs, despite Zack Steffen's two saves in sudden death.

USWNT vs. Nigeria, June 16

Rich Lam/Getty Images

Abby Wambach leaps for joy after scoring in the 45th minute off Megan Rapinoe's corner kick, which delivered a 1-0 win to the USA and first place in Group D of the Women's World Cup.

USWNT vs. Colombia, June 22

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Alex Morgan's goal broke a 0-0 draw, provided relief after Abby Wambach's PK miss and helped the U.S. women to the World Cup quarterfinals after a 2-0 win over Colombia in the round of 16.

USWNT vs. China, June 26

Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images

While Carli Lloyd (10) celebrates her goal in the distance, stalwart center backs Julie Johnston and Becky Sauerbrunn rejoice in the goal that put the USA into the semifinals of the Women's World Cup.

USWNT vs. Germany, June 30

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Carli Lloyd yells in celebration after scoring the penalty that put the USA up over Germany en route to a 2-0 victory in the Women's World Cup semifinals.

USMNT vs. Guatemala, July 3

Mark Humphrey/AP

DeAndre Yedlin and Jozy Altidore, wearing special jerseys with stars-and-stripes numbers for July 4, celebrate after a Guatemala own goal gifts the USA a 1-0 lead during a 4-0 win in Nashville, Tennessee, prior to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

USWNT vs. Japan, July 5

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Carli Lloyd sets the tone with a third-minute goal in the Women's World Cup final against Japan, the first of her three strikes within 16 minutes that lifted the USA to a 5-2 win and its first title in 16 years.

USWNT vs. Japan, July 5

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U.S. players rush the field after the final whistle, which sealed their 5-2 triumph over Japan and a record third World Cup title.

USWNT vs. Japan, July 5

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

USWNT vs. Japan, July 5

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Victorious, the U.S. women's national team raises the World Cup trophy for the third time, but the first in 16 years, after completing a 5-2 win over Japan in the final at Vancouver's BC Place.

USMNT vs. Honduras, July 7

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Clint Dempsey leaps in celebration of his second goal in the USA's Gold Cup opener against Honduras. The Americans won 2-1, fending off a late Honduras surge to collect all three points in the start of their title defense.

USA vs. Haiti, July 10

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Clint Dempsey (8) is congratulated by his teammates after a 47th-minute goal gave the USA a 1-0 win over Haiti in the Gold Cup. Gyasi Zardes, second from left, came on at halftime and assisted, and the win clinched first place in Group A.

USMNT vs Panama, July 13

Colin E. Braley/AP

Clint Dempsey, left, and Michael Bradley, right, celebrate after the latter's goal in the USA's 1-1 draw vs. Panama, which wrapped up group play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

USMNT vs. Cuba, July 18

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The U.S. men put on a clinic against an overmatched Cuba in the Gold Cup quarterfinals, with Clint Dempsey's hat trick leading the way in a 6-0 rout. Gyasi Zardes, Aron Johannsson and Omar Gonzalez also scored.

USMNT vs. Jamaica, July 22

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A downtrodden Clint Dempsey and Jurgen Klinsmann walk off the field as Jamaica celebrates a stunning 2-1 win over the USA in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.

USMNT vs. Panama, July 25

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Michael Bradley walks away in dismay after having a penalty saved in a PK shootout in the USA's loss to Panama in the Gold Cup third-place game. After a 1-1 draw, Panama prevailed 3-2 in PKs, the USA's first shootout in 10 years.

USWNT vs. Costa Rica, August 16

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Meghan Klingenberg waves a Terrible Towel in her hometown of Pittsburgh after scoring one of the USA's many goals in an 8-0 rout of Costa Rica in its first game since winning the 2015 Women's World Cup.

USWNT vs. Costa Rica, August 19

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Alex Morgan and Kelley O'Hara celebrate during a second rout of Costa Rica in three days, this one a 7-2 win in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

USA U-23 vs. England U-21, Sept. 3

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U.S. U-23 goalkeeper Zack Steffen looks on in disappointment as England U-21 forward James Wilson celebrates with Duncan Watmore after scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 friendly win in England.

USMNT vs. Peru, Sept. 4

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Jozy Altidore, right, is congratulated after one of his two goals that sparked the USA's come-from-behind win over Peru at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

USA U-23 vs. Qatar, Sept. 8

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Gedion Zelalem made his U-23 debut off the bench in the USA's 2-0 win over Qatar in England in the final tune-up before Olympic qualifying

USMNT vs. Brazil, Sept. 8

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Neymar and Marcelo celebrate while DeAndre Yedlin and Ventura Alvarado look away in disgust during Brazil's 4-1 rout of the USA at Gillette Stadium.

USWNT vs. Haiti, Sept. 17, 20

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Carli Lloyd scored hat tricks in both games and NWSL Golden Boot winner Crystal Dunn scored her first international goals as the USWNT beat Haiti 5-0 and 8-0 in a pair of friendlies in Detroit and Birmingham, Alabama. Haiti replaced on-strike Australia as a last-minute opponent.

USA U-23 vs. Canada, October 1

Colin E. Braley/AP

Jerome Kiesewetter, left, and Emerson Hyndman, right, sandwich Jordan Morris after his first-minute goal in the USA's 3-1 win over Canada in their Olympic qualifying opener.

USA U-23 vs. Cuba, October 3

Charlie Riedel/AP

Cameron Carter-Vickers gets congratulated by Jerome Kiesewetter and Emerson Hyndman after opening the scoring in a 6-1 rout of Cuba in their Olympic qualifying match. The USA cemented its place in the semifinal round with the win.

USA U-23 vs. Panama, October 6

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There was plenty of credit to go around, as the Americans finished off a perfect group run in Olympic qualifying with a 4-0 win over Panama. Jordan Morris and Jerome Kiesewetter came on at halftime and provided the spark needed to seize the three points.

USA U-23 vs. Honduras, October 10

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Wil Trapp's reaction says it all, as the USA failed to secure an automatic berth to the 2016 Olympics after falling to Honduras 2-0 in the semifinals of CONCACAF's Olympic qualifying tournament at Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium.

USMNT vs. Mexico, October 10

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Captain Michael Bradley leads the USA out onto the field ahead of the Americans' CONCACAF Cup playoff vs. Mexico at the Rose Bowl.

USMNT vs. Mexico, October 10

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Geoff Cameron beats Rafa Marquez to the spot and heads home a 15th-minute equalizer off a free kick from Michael Bradley, negating a Chicharito goal five minutes earlier in the CONCACAF Cup playoff between USA and Mexico.

USMNT vs. Mexico, October 10

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U.S. forward Bobby Wood celebrates his 108th-minute goal vs. Mexico that brought the Americans level at 2-2 after Oribe Peralta had given El Tri the lead in extra time. That reprieve would only last for 10 minutes, though.

USMNT vs. Mexico, October 10

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Jermaine Jones falls to his knees in disappointment as Mexico celebrates after Paul Aguilar's sensational volley in extra time captured the CONCACAF Cup for El Tri and sends the U.S. rival to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

USA U-23 vs. Canada, October 13

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

Marc Pelosi (15) celebrates after his goal breaks the deadlock and sends the U.S. U-23s on their way to a 2-0 win over Canada in CONCACAF's Olympic qualifying third-place game. The U.S. still has a chance to reach Rio, but it'll have to go through Colombia in a playoff.

USMNT vs. Costa Rica, October 13

Julio Cortez/AP

Tim Howard can't watch as Costa Rica players celebrate Joel Campbell's goal in a 1-0 friendly win at Red Bull Arena. The match marked Howard's return to the U.S. goal for the first time since the 2014 World Cup round of 16.

USA U-17 vs. Nigeria, October 17

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Victor Osimhen scores for Nigeria in a 2-0 win over the USA in the teams' FIFA Under-17 World Cup opener in Chile.

USA U-17 vs. Croatia, October 20

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USA U-17 midfielder Christian Pulisic watches his opening goal find the back of the net in the Americans' 2-2 draw with Croatia at the World Cup. The U.S. led 2-0 on Pulisic's goal and assist to Brandon Vazquez, but the European side mounted a furious rally to salvage a point.

USWNT vs. Brazil, October 21

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Shannon Boxx, right, passes off the captain's armband to Carli Lloyd in her final act as a player, riding into retirement in the first half of a 1-1 draw against Brazil in Seattle.

USA U-17 vs. Chile, October 23

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USA U-17 captain Hugo Arellano sits dejected after a 4-1 loss to host Chile eliminated the Americans from the World Cup in the group stage.

USWNT vs. Brazil, October 25

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The USA said goodbye to two more veterans, with Lauren Holiday, left, and Lori Chalupny ending their careers during a 2-1 win over Brazil in Orlando. The team improved to 5-0-1 on its World Cup victory tour with the win.

USWNT at the White House, October 27

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President Barack Obama welcomes the World Cup-champion USWNT to the White House, honoring their triumph in Canada.

USMNT vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, November 13

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Jozy Altidore watches one of his shots head toward goal in the USA's 6-1 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the opening of 2018 World Cup qualifying. Altidore scored twice, as the USA overcame a shocking early deficit and won at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago, November 17

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Gyasi Zardes and the U.S. men were held to a 0-0 draw by Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain, closing the year with a World Cup qualifying and sitting atop Group C in the semifinal round via goal differential tiebreaker.

USWNT vs. Trinidad & Tobago, December 10

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Christen Press triumphantly raises her hand after a goal during her hat trick in a 6-0 rout of Trinidad & Tobago at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

USWNT vs. China, December 13

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Crystal Dunn leaves her feet to settle a pass in the USA's 2-0 win over China at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Dunn and Christen Press scored the goals.

USWNT vs. China, December 16

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Abby Wambach is introduced in the U.S. lineup for the last time at the Superdome in New Orleans, playing in her final match before retiring. She ends her U.S. career with 255 appearances and an international-record 184 goals.