On the back of an emphatic 6-0 win over Honduras that helped calm quite a few nerves over their World Cup qualification hopes, the U.S. Men's National Team return to the pitch against Panama on Tuesday night with a chance to truly make a statement to other CONCACAF teams in the Hex.
No Hex match should be taken lightly, but the U.S.’ impressive all-time record versus Panama (11-1-4) leads to higher expectations for a favorable result in the team’s first meeting with Los Canaleros in nearly two years. The USMNT are no stranger to winning in Panama City, either—the Yanks are unbeaten in Estadio Rommel Fernandez, with a 3-0-1 all-time record. Another win would prove Bruce Arena’s squad has returned to form and could help the Yanks rise as far as second in the Hexagonal table.
While the U.S.’ lineup against Honduras appeared to click on all cylinders, the team returns to action with a few question marks lingering. Unfortunate injuries to center back John Brooks and midfielder Sebastian Lletget leave holes for Arena to fill, while the return of recently suspended midfield enforcer Jermaine Jones might lead to a shift in tactics from the recent 4-4-2 formation that worked so well against the Hondurans. Despite lineup questions, the U.S. look to harness the offensive energy that helped them blow past Honduras and sustain their dominant attack against Panama.
In their match against Honduras, clinical finishing in front of goal helped the Yanks convert six of the eight shots they put on target, including a hat trick by veteran Clint Dempsey. The 6-0 win is the largest margin of victory for the U.S. against Honduras and is the team’s largest-ever win in the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying. Panama, however, are notoriously strong at limiting opposing offenses and have recently done an admirable job at keeping U.S. attacks in check—eight of their meetings have been decided by one goal or less.
Eighteen-year-old dynamo Christian Pulisic, whose goal and two assists were central to the U.S.’ victory over Honduras, will once again play a crucial role in pulling the strings in the U.S. attack and breaking down a tough Panama defense. If the midfielder is able to continue connecting with forwards Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, offensive sparks should continue to fly for the USMNT.
While the U.S. have an obvious historical edge over Panama, Los Canaleros have been on the rise in recent years and will not be taken lightly by Arena and company. Panama advanced to the Hex three of the last four qualifying campaigns and came painstakingly close to finishing fourth in 2013, but a late 3-2 loss to the United States in the last round of play crushingly ended their World Cup hopes.
Panama are looking to get their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track against the U.S. following a surprising 1-0 loss on the road against Trinidad & Tobago. Head Coach Hernán Darío Gómez’s side sits third in the table—one point ahead of the U.S. after the first three matches. The team started qualifying play well by earning a 1-0 win at Honduras and drawing 0-0 at home against a difficult Mexican side, but the unexpected loss to Trinidad leaves Los Canaleros looking to regain positive momentum with a favorable result against the U.S.
Panama have a contingent of Major League Soccer players that will be instrumental in securing points against the USMNT. Seattle Sounders man Román Torres, Toronto FC midfielder Armando Cooper, San Jose midfielder Aníbal Godoy and Houston Dynamo defender Adolfo Machado all started for Los Canaleros against Trinidad, while New York Red Bulls defender Michael Amir Murillo also earned time off the bench.
Moving forward, the USMNT have an additional 21 points up for grabs over the course of the next seven World Cup qualifying matches, and the Panama game gives the USMNT an opportunity to finish March with six huge points. While the statement win over Honduras helped the U.S. push closer to a qualifying spot, U.S. captain Michael Bradley knows there is still work to be done, starting with Panama.
“I think tonight (against Honduras) is a good first step in terms of re-establishing a lot of things for our group in terms of who we are and what we’re about,” said Bradley. “We move on and get ourselves ready for Panama, where we want to get three more points.
