ATLANTA – Mexico booked its place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Wednesday night amid scenes filled with chaos and controversy at the Georgia Dome.
The scoreline will forever read that the Mexicans beat Panama 2-1, but that doesn't begin to tell the story of a clash that was decided by a dreadful refereeing decision with less than two minutes of regulation remaining and marred by ugly scenes of discontent from players and fans alike.
American referee Mark Geiger awarded Mexico a hotly-contested penalty kick just when it looked as though Panama, reduced to 10 men for most of the night and leading 1-0, would hang on for a famous victory and set up a showdown with Jamaica in Philadelphia on Sunday.