If the Concacaf Gold Cup was meant to be a testing ground for an inexperienced version of the U.S. men's national team, Sunday's quarterfinal against Costa Rica was a very trying examination. It was not only the fact that it was the first win-or-go-home game for this group,

The USMNT looked as stagnant as ever, until Malik Tillman played a slick one-two with Patrick Agyemang. Tillman's cross came to nothing, but a Costa Rican follow-through caught his ankle. A few minutes later, referee Walter Lopez went to the monitor, and, after a VAR review, pointed to the penalty spot.