The Panama vs USA Hexagonal qualifying match will be held this Tuesday, October 15, 2013 (6:30 PM Pacific) at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City. Panama suffered a devastating loss when it was just 5 minutes away from clinching a historic draw at the Estadio Azteca. Now, the Canaleros will be forced to defeat the USMNT and hope Mexico loses at Costa Rica, otherwise, their World Cup hopes will be over.
Last Friday, the USA clinched first place in the Hexagonal with a convincing 2-0 victory over Jamaica in Kansas City. Klinsmann gave some of his less experienced players some minutes, and it turned out to be enough to defeat the weakest team in the Hexagonal. Against Panama, it is likely that Klinsmann will once again rotate his squad and give some alternate players a bit of playing time. Nonetheless, don’t expect the USMNT to simply allow Panama to snatch away the 3 points, the US players given the chance to participate will do their best to impress Klinsmann.
Panama has no other option than to aim for victory, as any other result will immediately eliminate them from participating in the World Cup. Panama not only has to defeat the USMNT, but also hope that Mexico loses against Costa Rica in San Jose. If these two unlikely scenarios occur, Panama would end in 4th place and go on to face New Zealand in the intercontinental playoffs.
Coach Dely Valdes has to motivate his players, and ensure they come out firing on all cylinders. Panama has to score early on in order to build some confidence. If the draw prolongs, the Panamanian players will feel the pressure of elimination, and will likely play worse. If Panama does not score in the first 20 minutes of the match, a victory will be almost impossible to achieve.
Panama vs USA Prediction
Given that Panama has gone six games without winning, I simply don’t see the Canaleros pulling off a victory against the best team in CONCACAF. Panama will play hard, and the fans will support as much as they can, but in the end, it will not prove to be enough. The Panama vs USA match will end in a 1-1 draw that eliminates Panama from the World Cup, thus assuring Mexico the intercontinental playoff spot.
Panama vs USA TV Schedule
The Panama vs USA match will be televised this Tuesday, October 15, 2013 on beIN Sport at 6:30 PM Pacific.
