Two teams that need to prove their worth to their loyal supporters will put an end to the Gold Cup’s Group A action. Panama, a side that hasn’t been able to hold a lead, will have to fight for their place in the knockout stage against the U.S., a team that has already secured their spot among the final eight, but is yet to show its best football on the pitch.
Los Canaleros have been quite disappointing in this tournament, since their coach Hernán Darío Gomez has opted to show a conservative style while having the lead. This has caused the team to blow their lead in both games, and now their chances of repeating their 2013 performance are rather slim. If Panamá wants to get through the group stage, their defenders must stay focused against one of the best strikers in this cup, none other than Clint Dempsey. For Gomez’s team, Blas Pérez and Alberto Quintero will be crucial, while any contribution by Luis “Matador” Tejada will be more than welcome.
The Americans have already sealed their ticket to the final eight, but their performance has not been as solid as expected. Honduras managed to corner them during the final minutes of the game, and Haiti dominated for some time before conceding what ultimately would become the game-winning goal. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann rotated some players, but his adjustments in defense and the midfield did not work, and his team’s flaws were exposed by not so talented team. This gives the Americans a chance to improve, but when facing a side that’s capable of hurting them such as Los Canaleros, then their defense must be air-tight to avoid any complications.
This will be a match that will grant Panamá a chance for a little payback due to a couple of reasons. First, their previous Gold Cup meeting happened in 2013, when both sides met to determine the regional champion. United States emerged victorious, earning half a ticket to the FIFA Confederations Cup of 2017.
But the game Panamá wants to avenge the most is the one that left them out of the 2014 World Cup playoffs. Los Canaleros needed a win against Klinsmann’s team, which attended the game held at Rommel Fernandez Stadium with a number of substitute players. Panama went ahead 2-1, and with Mexico losing against Costa Rica, La Marea Roja was minutes away from playing the two leg series against New Zealand.
But just like in a movie script, the Americans were able to rise from the ashes and scored two goals in stoppage time to shock Los Canaleros, leaving them out of the World Cup playoff. Can Panama restore their pride against the U.S.? Or will Klinsmann’s crew go 3-for-3 in the group stage?
Gold Cup: Team sheets for Panama vs U.S.A.
Panama's Starting XI: Penedo, Pimentel, Cummings, Torres, Gómez, Pérez, Tejada, Cooper, Davis, Quintero, Godoy.
U.S.A.'s Starting XI: Guzan, Chandler, Alvarado, Brooks, Johnson, Beckerman, Bedoya, Bradley, Morales, Zardes, Wondolowski.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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