Final thoughts:
It was pretty much as expected from both teams — Panama have been a difficult team to break down over the last year, and for the most part this was another solid defensive performance from them, other than the moment where Pulisic opened them up so coolly for the USA goal.
The USA, meanwhile, knew they were heading into a much tougher challenge than they’d faced on Friday night and the likes of Jozy Altidore had much quieter games than they’d enjoyed against Honduras. Their defense was stretched at times, and the two defensive changes from Friday, Ream and Zusi, were clearly targeted by the hosts all evening. They’re far from option A, but in the end Ream in particular had recovered to put in a solid, if not spectacular performance. And “solid not spectacular” was just about the verdict on the US as a whole tonight.
So after 0 points from their first two games the US have 4 from their next two and can look forward to hosting Trinidad and Tobago next with a measure of confidence. Of course after that, it’s Mexico on the road...
That’s in the future though. For now, thanks for your tweets and emails. Sorry I couldn’t use them all. Good night.
Final score: Panama 1-1 USA
Honors even. Panama stay third and the USA move back up to fourth place. Final thoughts in a moment.
90 mins +2: Dempsey up on his feet as Bradley floats in the free kick, but nobody’s really attacking the ball and that should be the last significant action of the game...
90 mins: As normal time ebbs away, the US get a free kick wide right in a dangerous position for a Bradley cross. It’s headed clear though, but falls straight to Bedoya. He telegraphs his dummy though and is dispossessed to start a Panama counter. They can’t make anything of it though.
And now we have a pause in the game as Dempsey is caught late in a clash of heads with Henriquez.
88 mins: Machado sends in another long throw, but it’s a tired looking one that doesn’t cause any undue concern in the US box this time.
86 mins: Another US corner and Penedo rather flaps at Bradley’s cross, only for the ball to fall into an empty area of the box. Panama instantly try to break and Zusi does well to recover and retrieve the ball from Arroyo.
Panama press again and it’s another missed shot from Tejada as he greets a cut back with a wild effort nowhere near goal.
84 mins: A side note of all these substitutions is that Dempsey has once again gone the full 90 minutes. His goal leaves him only one behind Landon Donovan for all-time US goals, by the way. It’s been quite the round of games for him.
82 mins: Another USA sub limbering up as Paul Arriola prepares to enter the game — he was a aformer youth prospect for Arena when the coach was at LA Galaxy, but left for Mexico after feeling his chances for first team soccer were limited.
Arriola on for Altidore, who’s been quiet, and Arroyo coming on to replace Gabby Torres, as Panama make their final push for a winning goal.
80 mins: Nice little run down the right channel from Torres, but Ream does just enough to force him to miss high to the right as he tries to fire the ball above Howard from just inside the box. Ream has clawed his way into this game after a nervy start.
78 mins: I was going to list the updated standings but the US President just had his team delete them. I can tell you Mexico has minus 12 points and the current automatic qualification spot is held by Coal.
Yes, the game has gone off the boil again.
Panama trying to spray the ball about patiently at the moment though, and Howard has to get down to make a save from Godoy’s low drive.
76 mins: So heading into the last 15 minutes it’s possible that the substitutes might hold the key to breaking the deadlock. Acosta duly comes on for the rather anonymous Jones. Can the young Dallas player be a decisive factor.
Or will it be Yoel Bárcenas, coming in for Panama, who makes the difference?
74 mins: USA just enjoying a brief spell in the Panama half probing for openings, but in the end a tired looking cross from Zusi floats harmlessly out.
Acosta is about to come into the game for the US, by the way.
72 mins: Another long throw from Machado looks to have given Roman Torres a free header but it glances harmlessly clear off the top of his head.
USA go up the other end with no particular urgency but get a corner anyway as a headed clearance goes behind to give Bradley a chance to cross from the right...
...it’s an outswinger that’s caught handily by Penedo and his attempts at launching a quick counter come to naught.
70 mins: Nagbe comes out of the game for Bedoya to come in. Pulisic may go back to his favored left side of the field now, and the energetic Bedoya will help shuttle up and down the right and add some support for the beleaguered Zusi.
68 mins: More communication. Jeff Smith drops by with some nice pandering to our UK readers:
“We should be thrilled with a point. Zusi wouldn’t start at RB for Leyton Orient.”
I think Leyton Orient would currently be thrilled to start a game, regardless of right back...(here’s hoping their financial woes get solved soon)
Back in Panama City, you may be able to tell that we’re in a little bit of a lull after the burst of action in the last ten minutes or so. It’s still a very hot evening and both teams may need to pace themselves for a final push.
65 mins: as if on cue Twitter sniffs:
@KidWeil Jermaine Jones listed in the starting lineup. Have you spotted him?
— footyyank (@Footyyank) March 29, 2017
It’s not been a...dominant...display from Jones...
62 mins: Panama have a corner as Ream charges down another cross. Crowd lifted by Panama’s efforts right now, and they’re almost in raptures as the ball bobbles dangerously loose in the six yard box, but it’s hoofed clear before an attacker can get to it.
In the aftermath the Panama fans want a penalty and there’s a possible shout for ones as replays show Jones (remember him?) appearing to touch the ball with his hand during the scramble.
60 mins: An hour gone and the game is end to end at the moment, though it’s Panama who’re looking most dangerous.
And now Howard has to scramble to claim a ball that Tejada looked to have just poked past him, after the Panama man had run onto a headed knock down from Roman Torres. US not exactly reeling, but the game is entering a key stretch for both teams and there are plenty of warning signs for the visitors.
58 mins: Some more threatening build up from Panama as Machado has space to send a dangerous looking cross into the box from the right, but the USA just about clear their lines.
And now Ream makes up for all of his mistakes with a superb last ditch blocking tackle! Panama broke suddenly and the pace of Torres opened up a clear run on goal only for him to check and be blocked by the US man when he finally got his shot off.
56 mins: More pressure from Panama on the US back line, and again the US are glad to see Nagbe, who’s putting in a shift, carry the ball forward and earn a free kick in the Panama half. It’s floated to the back post by Bradley and Dempsey glances a header goalward, though not with enough speed or disguise to fool Penedo.
54 mins: From the corner, the US can only create a half-chance for Nagbe to send a weak shot trundling wide of the near post, and the next decent chance goes to Panama after Cooper and Tejada combine outside the box, only for the latter to scoop his attempted placed shot high over the bar.
52 mins: Another “clearance” from Ream off his weaker right foot goes high and not that handsome and not that far. Panama will keep probing his part of the US defense.
Then, again, the US nearly have a goal from nowhere. Villafana retrieves a lost cause to whip a cross from the byline to the near post, where Pulisic adjusts his balance for an instant volley goalwards. Only Godoy’s equally superb reaction block stops a goal.
50 mins: Gabby Torres gets a kind bounce to get clear of trouble down the left and for a second the US are backpedalling into the box, before Bradley gets a header clear.
Couple of little positional adjustments for both teams in the opening minutes but nothing telling yet.
48 mins: Nagbe brings the ball out of defense on a surging run towards the heart of the Panama box, but he’s brought up short of the D by a perfectly timed tackle by Cooper.
Now Zusi, in an advanced position down the right, scoops a little disguised pass back to Dempsey on the edge of the box, but he seems caught out by the spin on the ball and his first touch takes it away from him when he looked to have time. Confident start from the US though.
Second half kicks off
Panama get us back under way...
Your Guardian error*
*Brought to you in association with I can’t believe it’s not Proofread
Alan Steenstrup thunders:
“Panama’s eye-catching first Hex win was in Honduras (not Costa Rica). [True, and since corrected - GP]
Alan, a self-described “Danish Rico supporter who has lived in Costa Rica for 23 years” also had this to say on the Honduras vs Costa Rica game from earlier:
“Today’s Honduras-CR game was as turgid as expected, but a good result for CR.”
Correspondence
Scott Bassett writes:
“Just occurred to me that with Timmy Howard, Ream, Bradley and Altidore starting, Dax McCarty and Sacha Klestan on the bench and Bruce Arena running the show, you’ve got a Metro Stars/NYRB spine running through the team there.”
On that basis, the USA will go on to walk qualifying and will be eliminated in a World Cup group stage group of Andorra, The Cook Islands and England...
Half-time thoughts:
The US can’t really complain about this scoreline. The persistence and cool of Pulisic and the characteristic opportunism of Dempsey on the goal stood in fairly stark contrast to anything else the visitors had been able to do in the final third, while at the other end Panama had been getting steadily closer to doing something as the half went on. Ream has been a little shaky and Zusi, while dutifully sticking to his task, is still learning at this level, and Panama are clearly aware of that fact.
Panama’s goal was partly down to Ream turning his back as the long throw came into the box, and partly down to a slow reaction from Villafana. And partly, in fairness, due to the quick reaction of Gomez. Panama kept pressing towards half-time, and will feel they have the momentum going into the second 45. What wouldn’t Bruce Arena give for another Pulisic goal in the opening 15 seconds of the next half?
Half-time: Panama 1-1 USA
Half-time thoughts in a moment...
45 mins: More chaos in the US box. From looking like they’d deflated the hosts just before the half, they end up holding on as Panama press all the way to the whistle.
GOAL! PANAMA 1-1 USA (GÓMEZ!)
The USA hoof the corner clear but it only leads to a long throw from Machado that bounces in the box, and with no US defender getting a decisive touch the ball sits up perfectly for Gómez to lash the ball home from the edge of the six yard box!
Updated
42 mins: Panama trying to force their way straight back into the game after that gut punch, and now Quintero gets the better of Zusi again to earn a free kick to the left of the US box. Dangerous looking inswinger by Torres is touched out for a corner by the head of Gonzalez, and the danger isn’t clear...
GOAL! PANAMA 0-1 USA (DEMPSEY!)
Pulisic, who’s otherwise been quiet, revs up the hype train again by turning Baloy inside out on the right of the box, before holding off Roman Torres on the edge of the six yard box and sliding a cool little pass for Dempsey to sweep the ball home from the edge of the six yard box. And from nowhere and with their first chance, the USA have the lead!
Updated
38 mins: Quintero has lots more time than he realizes as Bradley’s last ditch tackle on Cooper sends the ball squirming to him on the edge of the box. But the Panama forward ends up skewing his shot and the danger is fully averted when Zusi makes a well-timed and confidence-boosting tackle.
36 mins: Bit of a melee as Pulisic takes his time playing the ball out to touch when a Panama player goes down. Godoy confronts him, US players rush to defend him and...you know the rest. Puffed chests return to their corners of the field after a short interval...
34 mins: Quintero has been chipping away at Zusi down the left and now he loses him again on the left side of the box, to make space for a snapshot. Howard’s off his line and charging the ball down quickly though, but Panama getting a couple of clearer looks at goal right now.
32 mins: USA can only turn their height advantage to a disadvantage on the set piece, as Gonzalez is called for pushing while the corner is still in the air.
Nagbe then looks to have found a little bit of space on the edge of the box only to slip at the crucial moment and allow Roman Torres time to get close and poke the ball away from him. Which brings us to:
@KidWeil the pitch plays like it's bumpier than if it were made of giant Legos
— footyyank (@Footyyank) March 29, 2017
It’s almost like Panama don’t want the US passing round them for fun...
30 mins: Another Panama corner, though again there’s little apparent danger from the set piece as the US force the ball clear.
Then out of nothing, Jones scoops the ball into space for Pulisic down the left of the box only for Ovale (I think) to sprint back brilliantly to slide the ball from under him for the corner.
28 mins: Panama want a corner, as Quintero tricks his way past Zusi, only for the apparent deflection off the US man to be judged as a goal kick. Zusi of course only started the conversion towards being an international right back during the January friendlies that started Bruce Arena’s second stint as US manager.
26 mins: Another burst of speed from Nagbe as he surges up the middle, but he’s hauled back in the center circle for another USA free kick. No bookings as yet, but just some signs that the referee might want to intervene more firmly soon, to keep this game under control.
24 mins: Nagbe’s turn to get kicked, out wide on the left. But the free kick is wasted, as it floats high over everyone in the box for an easy catch for Penedo on the far side of the box.
22 mins: Panama still intercepting most USA passes into the final third, though the US are hardly testing them with said passes.
Updated
20 mins: The USA get a spell on the ball to the irritation of the home fans. They need a little more of that, but the final ball is not there yet.
Pulisic is caught late by Tejada and goes down hard near the center circles. Bradley can float a free kick forward, though there’s not a lot of angle. Still, he finds Jones on the left of the box, but the Galaxy midfielder can’t get enough force on his header to trouble Penedo in the Panama goal.
18 mins: USA giving Arena a lot to scribble about in his notebook — not looking anywhere as cohesive a unit as they did against Honduras, even if they’ve not looked in much trouble so far either.
Better from Ream as he dives to head clear an inswinging cross. Howard claims the follow up cross comfortably.
16 mins: Game breaking up into short bursts broken up by free kicks at the moment. Panama definitely trying to make this a physical contest and now they have a chance to do something with their first corner...
...and that’s a half decent header from the center back Baloy, as he gets above Jones on the corner. It goes over the bar, but not by much.
14 mins: San Jose’s Godoy whips the ball in and it’s blocked but not cleared before sitting up for Gabby Torres to have a pop from outside the box that slides harmlessly wide, with Howard diving to cover.
12 mins: Pulisic has been quiet so far, but Twitter is still prepared to offer this sober analysis:
@KidWeil @guardian @GuardianUS @cpulisic_10 hat trick ⚽⚽⚽
— Carrie (@Ginnadog) March 29, 2017
Meanwhile game is briefly going end to end without any clear chances opening up. But now Panama have a free kick wide right in the US half...
10 mins: The ball bobbles nicely into place for Pulisic deep in Panama territory, and for a second it looks like a dangerous turnover in the USA’s favor, only for Pulisic and Altidore to never quite get the ball under control and the window closes.
At the other end Bradley trots over to issue a calming word to Ream, who’s had a slightly shaky start to the game at center back. Still 0-0.
8 mins: Tejada shoulders Jones off the ball in midfield as Panama drive forward again, but Zusi ends the danger by charging down a cross. The US can’t get it fully clear though, and Tejada tries a speculative shot from distance that flies high over the bar.
Updated
6 mins: Cheers as Zusi is called back for a foul in the Panama half. Game still choppy early on with neither team able to build much time on the ball as yet.
Another poor touch from Ream almost puts the US into trouble as Cooper wriggles clear on the right before driving the ball low to the heart of the box. The referee blows for offside before any truly dangerous touch can be applied, but that just raised the energy of the home crowd for a moment.
4 mins: Sloppy hook clear from Ream, then Gonzalez loses his footing ushering the ball out of play and goes sliding into the advertising hoardings just behind the goal.
Panama starting in determined fashion as they try to close down the US every time they’re on the ball. No clear chances for either team early, as we wait for the game to settle.
2 mins: US start brightly and go straight up the field with Pulisic earning a throw near corner flag. Panama force the ball clear and try to break quickly, but the ball runs through safely for an early touch for Howard.
First touch for Graham Zusi, who is booed. He’s not a saint in Panama, for sure.
Kick off
PEEEEP! A last minute check by the officials that the goal nets aren’t bugged, and we’re under way! US kick off.
Montages and things
OK, anthems are over, and the cameraman have been relieved from doing that slow, crouching walk just beneath the chins of stoical looking players — or in Panama’s case a line of lustily bellowing players giving it the big one. They look UP4IT™ (if not exactly InTUNEwithIT™).
We’ll be kicking off in a minute...
Updated
Teams are coming out of the tunnel
Inflatable tunnels! Flags! Mascots! Already sweating substitutes shambling out in advance! The only thing that would make this better is...YESSSSSSSS! ANTHEMS!
Twitter is still going on about the US defense
@KidWeil @guardian @GuardianUS 1) hooray! Definitely staying up now 2) back line as ugly as anything Klinsmann trotted out
— Kyle Brent (@leopoldbloom16) March 29, 2017
Panama would certainly be well-advised to learn the lessons of the Honduras game by 1) not standing off the US admiringly 2) putting some balls into the corners to test their shaky defensive organization — believe it or not Honduras had some occasional joy with that approach the other night, as the US center backs scrambled to cover full backs caught up the field.
Also, we’ve got this far into this liveblog without mentioning the K-word. It had to end at some point, I guess.
As it stands
Mexico 10 pts +4 GD
Costa Rica 7 pts +4 GD
Panama 4 pts 0 GD
Honduras 4 pts -5 GD
USA 3 pts +1 GD
T&T 3 pts -4 GD
So if Panama can get a home win tonight, they, Mexico and Costa Rica can keep a little space between them and the group of three chasing the automatic qualifying slot — especially given the weakened goal difference the USA handed to Honduras. Fourth in the group will still be good to reach a two-legged playoff — which is how Mexico made it to the World Cup last time out. If the teams draw tonight the US will move back up to fourth place on goal difference.
A kinder, gentler twitter emerges
@KidWeil @guardian @GuardianUS good to have you doing these again! I'm cautiously optimistic abt tonight. Defense worries me some.
— Chris Barker (@barker_cm) March 29, 2017
A novice at playing right back, a left back who’s been barely off the bench with his club team, and two center backs who’ve hardly played together? Yes, you might want to keep your optimism set to “cautious”, Chris.
Twitter snarks cheerfully into view
@KidWeil @guardian @GuardianUS Hope: Heartbreaking late goal robs the US of the 3 points.
— Brenton Walters ★★★ (@CapsOffside) March 29, 2017
Brenton is a Vancouver Whitecaps fan, and may possibly be attempting a one man mission to rob US citizens of pre-conceived notions of Canadian niceness. Or he may just enjoy poetic justice.
Meanwhile, elsewhere
So as we noted in the preamble, Costa Rica drew with Honduras earlier on this evening, while Mexico have just won 1-0 in Trinidad to become the first team in the Hex to reach double figures in points earned. They’re looking back at the group chaos behind them from a very comfortable vantage point after four games.
It’s a far cry from the last Hex, when Mexico ended up being saved in the dying moments of qualifying by Graham Zusi’s late goal in...Panama. It was a goal that broke Panamanian hearts and inspired Mexican announcers to extremes...
Needless to say the people of Panama have welcomed the USA back to their country with open arms — even going so far as to throw a fireworks display for them. Outside the team hotel. At 1.30 a.m. the night before the game...
Team News
Panama: Penedo; Machado, Baloy, Torres, Ovalle; Cooper, Gomez, Godoy, Quintero, Torres, Tejada
USA: Howard; Villafana, Gonzalez, Ream, Zusi; Pulisic, Bradley, Jones, Nagbe; Altidore, Dempsey
It’s going to be a hot night — around 80º at kick off, so keep an eye on how Dempsey, still easing back from injury, does with his second game in four days. Not that scoring a hat trick looked like evidence of a gentle convalescence, but this is likely to be a very different game.
And keep an eye out on Jozy Altidore too. Dempsey and Pulisic grabbed the headlines on Friday, but Altidore’s link up play was vital, and he’s likely to have a busy night again tonight in what’s likely to be a much more physical game from both teams.
Kick off is in about 30 minutes time...
USA
Geoff Cameron pulled out of the roster late before this game, so word is that Graham Zusi will be starting at right back, and that Jorge Villafana has continued to earn Arena’s trust at left back. In terms of starters holding over from the Honduras game, Sebastian Lletget and John Brooks are definite no-no’s. Brooks returned to his club after being withdrawn through dehydration on Friday, while Lletget was even more unlucky — after grabbing the opening goal he left the game after just 18 minutes with a foot injury that will require surgery and a 4-6 month layoff. Tim Ream will come in for Brooks, and Jermaine Jones returns from suspension to replace Lletget.
Panama
Panama started this round of qualifying with an eye-catching win in Honduras, and followed that with a 1-1 draw at home to Mexico, to be tucked in nicely after two games. But a 1-0 loss to the previously winless Trinidad & Tobago team on Friday night has put the pressure back on them before tonight’s game.
And like the USA, Panama are stretched a little through injuries right now. The bullish forward Blas Perez looks to be out after picking up a tweaked hamstring in the run up to Friday’s game, to add to that list, but there’s still plenty of talent in the Panama side for Hernan Dario Gomez to draw on, including the man whose goal won Seattle last year’s MLS Cup, Roman Torres.
Updated
Preamble
Evening all. And welcome to part two of The Rising™ — possibly to be amended to The Plateauing™ or False Dawn 2: This Time It’s Personal™, depending on how the USA follow up Friday’s 6-0 win over Honduras.
That win, and the goal-difference-salvaging magnitude of it, put the USA’s World Cup qualifying campaign, if not fully back on track, at least not still on track for disaster.
In fact, given the USA’s slow start to the final stage of World Cup qualifying, in losing to Mexico at home and Costa Rica on the road, being on track for halfway up the standings would be a more than acceptable outcome for this round of games. They did part one with the big win over Honduras (who drew 1-1 st home with Costa Rica earlier today to potentially lose even more ground). Now Bruce Arena’s team face a Panama team who’ve had a sluggish start of their own, and who could do with a morale-boosting win over the team that ended their last World Cup campaign in cruel fashion — more of that in a moment.
Both teams will be pretty familiar with each other — many of the key players for each team play in MLS, which is a growing trend for Concacaf players over this latest World Cup cycle. But the atmosphere in Panama City tonight will be far from the MLS early season skirmishes most of these players are involved with right now. Los Canaleros don’t have the greatest overall record against the USA (1-11-4) and are 0-5-1 against them in World Cup qualifying, but they’ve been becoming steadily more competitive in recent years, and in fact beat the USA on penalties to take third place in the 2015 Gold Cup. And despite the evidence of a USA revival, Panama will go into this game feeling they have unfinished business against the US, and never a better time to finish it.
I’ll be back in a few minutes with team news, build-up and cultural references that would have Christian Pulisic staring at me blankly. In the meantime you can tweet to me at @KidWeil, or email me with your thoughts, hopes and Bruce Arena drawings.
Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime, recap how USA crushed Honduras 6-0 on Friday night:
On a cold and damp night at the Avaya Stadium, the US not only gained their first points of the Hex round of World Cup qualifying, but jumped over both Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras in the standings, thanks to the goal difference swing from their victory. They now travel to Panama on Tuesday night hoping to complete their climb back into the automatic qualification slots, and out of crisis mode.
After losing their first two World Cup qualifiers (and losing a head coach in the process), the US started Friday’s game just looking for a win rather than any sort of stylish performance – the appointment of Arena as head coach was expected to bring some cool pragmatism into the pressurized qualifying situation he’d inherited, rather than reinvent the team.
In the event, the pragmatic approach of putting players in positions where they might be likely to succeed inspired the US to rediscover some of the confidence and creativity sorely lacking from the defeats to Mexico and Costa Rica that had finally ended the Jürgen Klinsmann years.
