Copa America Preview: Panama vs. USA (June 27, 6:00 PM EST)
The first round of Group C action in the 2024 Copa América went just as predicted, with Uruguay and the United States defeating Panama and Bolivia respectively. The US will have more work cut out for them on Matchday 2, when they take on their fellow CONCACAF member nation at the Mecedes-Benz Stadium.
The USMNT’s dominance in their opener is not adequately reflected in the 2-0 scoreline, while Panama may feel equally hard done by the 3-1, giving up 2 goals after the 85th minute. A win in this matchup would see the US automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, while a loss for Panama would all but end their tournament run in its tracks.
- Matchup: Panama vs. USA
- Date: Thursday, June 27, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 6:00 PM EST
- Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)
- Fifa World Ranking: USA (11), Panama (43)
- Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- TV Viewing Options: FOX, TUDN, Univision
- Streaming Options: FOX Sports, Fubo, ViX
- Head to Head (W-D-L): Panama-Draw-USA (4-4-18)
Panama vs. USA - Game Preview
Head to Head
The US has a very sizable advantage in the all-time head to head record, but interestingly since 2021, they’ve lost 2 of their 3 competitive matches against the Panamanians. The first of these losses came in Panama City during 2022 World Cup qualification thanks to a goal by captain Aníbal Godoy. The second came on penalties at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego in the 2023 Gold Cup. Sandwiched between these two triumphs for Panama was a 5-1 drubbing by the US in Orlando which featured a hat trick from Christian Pulisic. The two have never faced off in the Copa América however, with Panama’s only previous appearance coming in the 2016 edition. La marea roja went out in the group stages, despite an opening win against Bolivia. Meanwhile the US have made the semifinals twice, in both 1995 and 2016.
Injuries and Suspensions
Panama have been incredibly unfortunate with their injuries going into this year's Copa América, the most notable of which is captain Aníbal Godoy, who suffered a hip flexor injury in a friendly against Paraguay on June 16th which will keep him out for the entirety of the tournament. He is joined on the injured list by defender Andrés Andrade who tore his ACL. Jiovany Ramos and Fidel Escobar will be missing from the backline as well. Cecilio Waterman won’t make the tournament either, as the veteran forward has been battling a recurring hamstring injury.
The US is not entirely in the clear as far as injuries go either. Starting full back Sergiño Dest won’t be present due to an ACL tear, while Josh Sargent’s availability remains questionable going forward though he is still a part of Berhalter’s roster and was on the bench for the opener against Bolivia.
Neither team has any suspensions going into the match.
Team Overviews
Panama: They were far from stellar in their pre tournament friendly loss to Paraguay 1-0 where injury befell their captain Godoy. That said, coming up against Marcelo Bielsa’s red-hot Uruguay side was never going to be an easy task for los canaleros, but they performed admirably as they
only trailed by one goal until the dying embers of the game. Panama managed a fair few chances against la celeste, whose defense didn’t look at its best.
The strikers will be key for Panama; Ismael Díaz and José Fajardo will need to be firing this tournament if they are to have any chance at advancing to the knockouts. Both ply their trade at Universidad Catolica in Ecuador, while Farjado is already in the top 10-all time scorers list for the Panamanian national team and put in some solid performances in last year’s CONCACAF Nations League to help his country reach the semifinals. Díaz on the other hand, shone in the 2023 Gold Cup as Panama made it to the final eventually falling to Mexico.
Equally important to Panama’s success will be finding a balanced midfield setup in the absence of Aníbal Godoy who typically anchors the center of the park. Both Adalberto Carrasquilla (who was the 2023 Gold Cup Player of the Tournament) and Christian Martínez have started alongside the more defensive Godoy for the national team, but when played together without their captain the duo were bypassed with ease by Uruguay, thus failing to provide ample support for their defensive line in and out of possession.
Keep an eye out for the young defender José Córdoba, Panama’s number 3, who recently earned a move from the Bulgarian League to Norwich City FC in the Championship. He’s only 22 years old and is already starting at the heart of a back five for his country, coming up with some crucial blocks especially in the first half of their opener against Uruguay.
USA: The US will be pleased with the 3 points earned in their opener, but hungry for more goals as a beautiful move finished off by Folarin Balogun was disallowed in the second half against Bolivia. Tyler Adams putting out a full half of football will be encouraging to US fans, after some uncertainty around his fitness level coming into the tournament. Bolivia certainly aren’t the strongest opponents, but perhaps a win and a clean sheet were prioritized over a goalfest following the chaos of their pre tournament friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.
The midfield looked sharp, even with the changes from Adams and Reyna to Musah and Cardoso, the win never seemed in jeopardy. Weston McKennie stood out in particular this past Sunday. The depth in the middle of the park for the stars and stripes is arguably better than it ever has been, the key will be keeping them healthy and available for selection.
Squad depth became an issue for the USMNT a bit further up the pitch, highlighted by a shockingly weak performance off the bench from Ricardo Pepi who replaced Folarin Balogun. The other options at striker either aren’t proven for the national team or aren’t preferred by Berhalter, especially Haji Wright and the aforementioned Sargent who is working his way back
to full fitness. The starters were fantastic; Weah had a great game and Pulisic was fantastic as usual, but beyond Balogun the US may struggle for consistency at striker.
Chris Richards is emerging as a star at center back for the national team, comfortably pairing with the veteran Tim Ream. Richards had a season to remember at Crystal Palace, helping them to a 10th place finish. He was brilliant on and off the ball for the Eagles and looked sharp against Bolivia, but will undoubtedly face a tougher test in Atlanta this Thursday.
Game Predictions and Expectations
These two teams are far more familiar with each other than with their respective inaugural opponents in this year’s Copa America. Therefore, this game being something of a stalemate, where the two sides are able to cancel each other out is entirely possible.
However, the aggressive start the US showed against Bolivia got them an early goal, and they may look to kick things off just as strong in this game in front of their home crowd in Atlanta. If they can bring the fluidity in their play they showed against Bolivia to this matchup against Panama the USMNT could secure their spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday, especially if Panama doesn’t sort out their midfield.
That said, Panama kept a great attacking side in Uruguay at bay for most of the game, so while an early goal may not be on the cards here, the US attack looks a bit too strong for them to contain for a full 90.
Our picks for the USA vs Panama are:
1st Team to Score:
- Panama +280
- No Goal +900
- USA -300
Match Result after Regular Time:
- Panama +725
- Tie +375
- USA -250
Player to Score and their Team Win the Match:
- Christian Pulisic +165
USA Total Goals after Regular Time:
- 1.5 Over (-185)
- Under (+130)
Author: Venuse, Inc.