Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
When U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Stuart Holden was forced to leave Sunday’s Gold Cup Final just 19 minutes into the match with a knee injury considered likely to be serious, the loss could have led to devastating circumstances in the Gold Cup Final. Mix Diskerud saw to it that the U.S. team didn’t miss a beat though, offering a stabilizing presence in central midfield that helped the Americans control and eventually win the final.
Even though he didn’t start and didn’t score in the USMNT’s 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday, Diskerud’s Gold Cup-winning performance earned him SBI’s U.S. Men’s National Team Man of the Match honors.
Diskerud stood out the most on a day that featured solid performances from teammates Landon Donovan, Clarence Goodson, and Alejandro Bedoya as the USMNT won their fifth ever Gold Cup title.
While it can definitely be argued that some other players had more influential roles on Sunday, Diskerud’s ability to jump into the middle of a hard-fought match and settle in and ultimately be a force made him SBI’s choice for the honors.
Who did you think was the U.S. team’s best player vs. Panama? Cast your vote for Man of the Match after the jump:
- Mix Diskerud
- Alejandro Bedoya
- Landon Donovan
- Kyle Beckerman
- Matt Besler
- Joe Corona
- Clarence Goodson
What did you think of Diskerud’s performance on Sunday? Who do you believe was the USMNT Man of the Match against Panama?
Share your thoughts below.