Ikoba tallied his second goal of tournament; Fourth-place finish marks USA's best since 1999
Portland Timbers forward Tega Ikoba started and opened the scoring for the U.S. in the team's 4-1 loss to Mexico in the 2023 Pan American Games bronze-medal match in Santiago, Chile on Saturday. Pouncing on a rebound following a set-piece play, the Timbers Homegrown product acrobatically fired in a goal to put the U.S. up 1-0 in the 23rd minute. It was Ikoba's second goal of the tournament.
Despite the loss, the fourth-place finish was the USA's best finish at the tournament since earning a bronze medal in 1999. It also was the first team U.S. Soccer had fielded in the men's tournament since 2007. The Pan American Games are a continental, multi-sport tournament for North and South America. All nations are restricted to bringing under-22 players for soccer to align with the under-23 age rule for the Olympics.
