Panama beats Trinidad and Tobago in penalty — CONCACAF Gold Cup

Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1) makes a stop against Trinidad during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match at MetLife Stadium.

Luis Tejada opened the scoring by capitalizing on a defense miscue by Trinidad and Tobago to give Panama a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute.

Penedo saved Lester Peltier’s spot kick in the ninth round of penalties Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to book the 2013 finalists’ place in the semifinals.

Panama, technically, hasn’t won a game at the Gold Cup, drawing all four 1-1. Panama had 13 corner kicks, while Trinidad and Tobago didn’t have a single one.

Perez had a chance in the opening seconds of second half stoppage time, speeding past Bateau to collect a centering pass in the penalty area, but booted his shot wide of the far post.

Perez missed another golden opportunity in stoppage time, squandering a great look in front of the goal by rifling his shot just left of the net. After Pimentel sent the ball ahead into the box, two Trinidad defenders botched a clearance attempt, allowing Tejada to swoop in and fire a low, right-footed shot past Phillip.

One minute later, Blas Perez almost restored Panama’s lead on the immediate counterattack, but he directed his shot straight at Phillip, keeping the match even.

Panama had rarely threatened but was gifted the lead nine minutes before half-time thanks to a defensive mix-up from Trinidad. Neither team could find a goal for the rest of regulation nor 30 minutes of extra time, resulting in the shootout.

The Cardiff City forward made no mistake as he nodded home from Khaleem Hyland’s expertly placed left-wing free kick.

A save from Jaime Penedo in the ninth round of penalties saw Panama beat Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals. It was seeking its second Gold Cup semifinal appearance and first since 2000.

Panama advanced to a third consecutive semi-final, having lost to the United States in 2011 before beating Mexico in 2013, only to fall to the Americans in the final.