The United States Men’s National Team opened the 2024 Copa América with a 2-0 victory against Bolivia. There is little rest for the weary as the group stage rolls along and a spot in the knockout rounds all but assured with another win. Next on the schedule is Panama, a CONCACAF foe that is competing in the tournament for the second time. Mercedes-Benz Stadium – a 73,019-seat arena in Atlanta, Georgia with a controversial “synthetic surface that was covered with natural grass” prior to the tournament – hosts the match.
This is the 27th all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USMNT holding a 17-2-7 advantage but falling in penalties in the semifinal round of last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Ranked 43rd internationally by FIFA, Panama qualified for the Copa América with a 6-1 aggregate romp over Costa Rica in the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Nations League. In the first matchday for Group C, Los Canaleros (The Canal Men) fell to Uruguay by a 3-1 margin.
Appointed to the manager role in July of 2020, Thomas Christiansen has enjoyed a reasonably strong tenure, earning the silver medal at the 2023 Gold Cup. His past experience includes stints at AEK Larnaca, APOEL, Leeds United, and Union Saint-Gilloise. The Federación Panameña de Fútbol extended his contract through 2026 with the intent of leading the program to a second World Cup qualification despite occasional rumors of his departure.
Christiansen initially named a 26-player roster for the Copa América, but an injury to Aníbal Godoy saw him be replaced by Harold Cummings. The entirety of the group is based abroad, with eight of the talents on the books of European clubs. Due to a list of absences that includes defensive stalwarts Andrés Andrade and Fidel Escobar, the manager notes a need to “look at options” with a hope to surprise opponents while “competing with pride for [the] country.”
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GOALKEEPERS (3): Luis Mejía (Nacional), César Samudio (Marathón), Orlando Mosquera (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
DEFENDERS (10): César Blackman (Slovan Bratislava), José Córdoba (Norwich City), Eduardo Anderson (Saprissa), Eric Davis (Košice), Omar Valencia (New York Red Bulls), Iván Anderson (Fortaleza), Harold Cummings (Xelajú), Michael Amir Murillo (Marseille), Edgardo Fariña (Municipal), Roderick Miller (Turan Tovuz)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Abdiel Ayarza (Cienciano), Cristian Martínez (Al-Jandal), José Luis Rodríguez (Red Star Belgrade), Adalberto Carrasquilla (Houston Dynamo FC), Yoel Bárcenas (Mazatlán), Freddy Góndola (Maccabi Bnei Reineh), Jovani Welch (Académico de Viseu), Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United FC), César Yanis (San Carlos), Kahiser Lenis (Jaguares)
FORWARDS (3): Eduardo Guerrero (Zorya Luhansk), Ismael Díaz (Universidad Católica), José Fajardo (Universidad Católica)
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Christiansen employs a 3-4-3 formation (leaving the back four “in the past”) and has been praised for instilling “his seal of discipline and balance,” enjoying a talent base with “great team spirit” that plays “as one.” Panama operates fast and directly, always looking to break out on the counter-attack with long passes or breakneck dribbling runs. With a fairly spread-out set-up and the wing-backs taking an advanced position up the field, opponents can exploit the area in between the centre-backs and the midfielders, with attackers having the time and space to receive a centering pass before turning toward the goal.
Projected Panama Starting XI (via BuildLineup.com)
Orlando Mosquera took over the number-one role in 2023 and has claimed the lion’s share of meaningful competitive minutes. The itinerant goalkeeper is at his fifth club in five seasons after signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv last fall but quickly stepped into the starting role. He uses the entirety of his 6’3” frame as an acrobatic shot stopper while demonstrating bravery and quick reflexes on short-range chances, with constant and active footwork that enables him to reset almost instantly. His long-range passing is stellar and dangerous, with the ability to pick out teammates and spring counter-attacks across the field.
Norwich City signed highly sought after centre-back José Córdoba and with good reason, as his size and speed alone are enough to dominate the opposition. The 23-year-old from Panama City displays excellent long-range distribution and picks his moments to dribble forward with surprising ease. Supreme physical presence Roderick Miller uses his 6’3” body to win countless headers but also has the pace to close down wingers and the agility to slide into tight areas with crunching ground challenges. He takes an active role in the build-up and typically uses his left foot to swing the ball to the nearside fullback or the advanced attacker. The trio is completed by up-and-comer Edgardo Fariña, who recently claimed a title on loan in Guatemala with Municipal and cuts a “giant” figure as a “very proactive defender” who “looks confident stepping out and collecting possession high up the pitch.” His surprising pace enables him to fix teammate’s mistakes, track down opponents with a head start, and make surprising entries into attacking situations. There’s also Eduardo Anderson of Deportivo Saprissa, another tall option with the ability to “manage space” and come out on top in “one-on-one situations,” finding success in high-pressure situations. Target Scouting notes his strength in “sweeping up loose balls, being in a good position to make interventions, never biting on feints, and [maintaining] good body shape.”
Lining up as one of the spirited wing-backs is FC Košice’s Eric Davis, praised as one of the team’s “most underrated players,” who “can have an impact in any area of the field.” When pushing forward, he can cut inside and unleash a devastating shot, claim crosses, and serve as a distributor at all distances. In the midst of a strong debut year with Marseille, Amir Murillo suffered an adductor injury that ended his season and kept him out of the Nations League Finals. The highly-athletic vertical attacking threat looks to push the tempo and make deep runs into the final third, finding empty gaps in the opposing set-up and sneaking into the back post.
Houston Dynamo’s Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla was a key creative presence in 2023 with several assists, including two in the Nations League quarterfinal round against Costa Rica. The 25-year-old is a “classic box-to-box” player: “excellent when pressing” and “able to turn defense into attacking with ease,” enabling teams to “punch above their weight.” Cristian Martínez of Saudi second-tier side Al Jandal should pick up the start in a defensive-minded role due to his willingness to throw himself into challenges and disrupt the opposition. He makes smart and safe decisions with his passes, looking to either find the short option and only gamble on longer-range chances. There’s also a potential role for Carlos Harvey, who has a magnetism for the ball and slots in at multiple positions, including on the back line despite a slightly rambunctious nature. The Minnesota United six can also make an impact in the final third by finishing from well outside of the box and getting onto the end of crosses.
Sometime-striker José Fajardo of Universidad Católica posted an impressive five goals and two assists during the 2023 international calendar. He can be a streaky attacker, but his speed, body control, and long-distance shooting turn the tenor of proceedings in an instant, particularly when breaking on the counter. On the other side of the formation is Yoel Bárcenas of Mexican side Mazatlán, a pacey and dynamic dribbler who looks to connect with his teammates using short-range passes. He has a tendency to float around the entirety of the field, whether to provide a slide tackle or a darting run through the middle that pulls the opposition out of position. There’s also José Luis Rodríguez, known as Puma or Cocobolo, who returned from his torn cruciate ligament injury in surprisingly good form and netted crucial goals against Curaçao and Costa Rica. The Red Star Belgrade winger fulfills all of the expectations of the position: from driving the possession to providing a creative presence on the outside and putting the ball on net in all sorts of ways.
Leading the formation is Ismael Díaz, whose nine international goals include a hat trick against Qatar in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Gold Cup. The 27-year-old Universidad Católica attacker can line up at a variety of spots and thrives when cutting inwardly from wide areas. He has both the speed to get behind opposing back lines and the agility to beat defenders with a quick move off of the dribble from a standing position. His finishes come in a few varieties, from setting up his own chances with long solo runs and redirecting set-ups from his teammates to converting shots from seemingly impossible angles with sublime skill.
Barring unforeseen catastrophe, Panama should qualify for the 2026 World Cup as the program continues to build in a positive direction. Whether Los Canaleros are ready to push for a spot in the top of the CONCACAF hierarchy remains an ongoing questions, with each successive generation looking more and more likely to break through to the upper echelon. The USMNT has the talent advantage but lost two of the previous three fixtures against this particularly trying opponent, indicating a tight result.
The match is scheduled for Thursday, June 27th at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include FOX, Univision, TUDN, and FUBO TV (free trial).
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Publish date : 2024-06-25 09:30:00
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