Bruce Arena to ESPN: “I was very confident in this group. We’ve come a long way since November 2016 and are in good position to hopefully to get the third spot. I think Panama will beat Costa Rica so we need a result in Trinidad.” That’s it from me, thanks for following.
Updated
FULL-TIME: USA 4-0 Panama
A comfortable win for the US, who are one win (against Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday) from reaching next year’s World Cup finals. Panama, meanwhile, must quickly regroup if they are to gain a play-off spot ahead of Honduras, who play Costa Rica tomorrow.
Updated
87min: Dempsey needs one more goal to break Landon Donovan’s US scoring record but it does not appear he will get it tonight.
78min: A final sub for the US. Alejandro Bedoya replaces Darlington Nagbe. An attendance of 25,303 is announced.
Updated
76min: The game is drifting now, with the result in no doubt at all.
70min: And the fans get their wish. On comes Clint Dempsey, replacing Altidore.
67min: “We want Dempsey,” cry the Orlando crowd.
GOAL! USA 4-0 Panama (Wood 63)
Moments after hitting the ball just wide, Bobby Wood makes no mistake with a classy effort. This game is over.
Bobby Wood with a clinical finish to put #USMNT up 4-0 #USAvPAN pic.twitter.com/N1RGuHOR0q
— dave (@DesTaquito1) October 7, 2017
Updated
60min: Another change for Panama. Abdiel Arroyo is on for Blas Perez.
56min: Pulisic, sensibly, comes off and is replaced by defensive midfielder Dax McCarty, who hails from the Orlando area.
Updated
47min: Pulisic is hacked again by a Panama player. This could be a theme for the rest of the game. ESPN commentator Taylor Twellman says Arena should sub the wonder kid immediately to ensure his health for the Trinidad & Tobago match.
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46min: The second half begins, Fidel Escobar replaces Felipe Baloy for Panama.
How valuable has Pulisic been to the US qualifying campaign? Just a little.
Pulisic's involvement in the 15 #USMNT Hex goals:
— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) October 7, 2017
- 4 goals
- 4 assists
- 2 fouls drawn; goals off free kicks
- 1 shot scored on rebound
Updated
“We were a little sloppy,” says Bruce Arena to ESPN. “We have to be smart.” Cheer up, Bruce.
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45min: The referee blows his whistle for half-time. The US are cruising here. Surely they will try to bring on some more defensive minded players to ensure the lead.
GOAL! USA 3-0 Panama (Altidore, 43 pen)
Jozy Altidore makes it three with a cheeky Panenka. Outrageous!
Jozy with the Panenka. 3-0 #USAvPAN #USMNT pic.twitter.com/OP4eptYags
— Kyle Schnitzer (@Kyle_Schnitzer) October 7, 2017
Updated
PENALTY!
42min: The US have the chance to make it three just before the break as Bobby Wood is brought down inside the Panama area.
36min: Landon Donovan, meanwhile, has boarded the Pulisic hype train. He might be the driver, in fact.
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) October 6, 2017
35min: A highly promising stat for the US.
#USMNT is unbeaten (38-0-1) in 39 straight games when leading by two goals.
— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) October 7, 2017
Last loss was to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final. #USAvPAN
31min: Panama are very much still in this game, though, with the US still somewhat shaky at the back. You would think the home side need at least one more to ensure victory.
26min: Substitution for Panama – and a tactical one, too. Armando Cooper is on for Edgar Bárcenas.
24min: Pulisic was featured in a ‘60 Minutes’ special early this week. He needed just eight minutes to make a mark here, though.
23min: Bobby Wood should have made it three for the US. Arena’s men are all over Panama.
GOAL! USA 2-0 Panama (Altidore 19)
Pulisic this time turns provider, expertly beating his man down the left and crosses to Altidore who has the simplest of tasks to tap home. Tensions ease for the US. Pulisic is some player – he deserves to play on the biggest stage and he is doing everything to make sure he will be in Russia next summer.
Jozy Altidore finally gets on the board. Slick cross by Christian Pulisic 2-0 #USAvPAN #USMNT pic.twitter.com/uyDECjRrdh
— Kyle Schnitzer (@Kyle_Schnitzer) October 6, 2017
Updated
11min: Pulisic again threatens the Panama defence on the break but he runs out of options and the ball goes out for a corner.
Updated
GOAL USA 1-0 Panama (Pulisic 8)
The early pressure pays of for Bruce Arena’s men and Christian Pulisic scores a brilliant solo goal, flicking the ball on and rounding the keeper to give US the lead.
WONDER BOYYYY!! #Pulisic #USAvPAN pic.twitter.com/xFFLwGIUoA
— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) October 6, 2017
Updated
6min: Bobby Wood – the hero against Honduras with his late equalizer – expertly controls the ball in the Panama area but shoots just wide.
Updated
2min: An early chance for the US. Pulisic dazzles, squares the ball to Altidore whose shot from outside the box is blocked by a defender.
1min: Peep! Panama get us under way.
Should Dom Dwyer, who now plays for Orlando City, be playing tonight in front of his home fans? Something to chew over before kick-off.
The players are coming out onto the pitch. Kick-off is fast approaching. “This game is monumental for Panama,” says Ian Darke. “Can they grab the chance after their hearts were broken by the US four years ago?”
Altidore will start, say ESPN.
The president of Panama (Juan Carlos Varela) is at Orlando City Stadium and virtually the entire country back at home, we are told, are watching tonight as Los Canaleros look to reach the World Cup for the first time.
Updated
Jozy Altidore is limping on the pitch in the pre-match warm-ups, ESPN note. Oh dear!
The good people at Sports Illustrated note that nine US players will miss Tuesday’s qualifying finale at Trinidad & Tobago should they pick up a yellow card tonight: Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin.
Of note, Honduras’ match against Costa Rica has been postponed until Saturday due to severe rainfall caused by tropical storm Nate, meaning the qualifying scenarios will not be fully known tonight.
The teams
USA: Howard; Yedlin, Gonzalez, Besler, Villafaña; Arriola, Bradley, Nagbe, Pulisic; Wood, Altidore.
Panama: Penedo; Murillo, R. Torres, Baloy, Ovalle; Barcenas, Gomez, Godoy, Quintero; G. Torres, Perez.
Bruce Arena has – to much surprise – brought in former USA national coach Bob Bradley (now in charge of MLS newcomers LA FC) to help out for tonight’s game.
Steve Brenner will be reporting on tonight’s game from Orlando. You can read his splendid preview here.
Syria – whose World Cup run has captured the imagination amid a bloody civil war – came from behind to grab a controversial first-leg draw against Australia in Malacca on Thursday. The second leg is in Sydney on Tuesday, on the same day the US face Trinidad and Tobago in their final Concacaf qualifier.
Preamble
Nervous? Many United States supporters certainly are ahead of tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Panama in Orlando. After dismal performances against Costa Rica and Honduras in their previous two qualifiers, Bruce Arena’s men still have their fate in their own hands but now there is almost no margin for error.
The US are one of only seven countries who have reached every World Cup since 1990 but a place in an eighth consecutive tournament is far from certain, with just two Concacaf qualifiers to go. It is, to quote Sir Alex Ferguson, squeaky bum time.
With the US leading a joint bid with Mexico and Canada to host the 2026 World Cup – and overwhelming favourites to be named hosts by Fifa next year – missing out on Russia 2018 would be devastating for the growth of the game in North America. So there is understandable pressure on Arena to secure victory against Panama tonight.
A draw or defeat means the best the US can hope for is a two-legged play-off against either Australia or Syria. And even that is not guaranteed, with Honduras still in the running for qualification.
Panama, for their part, can qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history by beating the Americans so there is plenty at stake tonight.
Bob will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s what Alexi Lalas had to say about the US’s woes last month:
The former USA international Alexi Lalas launched a tirade against Bruce’s Arena’s team on Sunday, calling the players “underperforming, tattooed millionaires.”
After a string of mediocre results, the US could face a playoff against Syria or Australia to qualify for next year’s World Cup – if they make it that far in the first place.
Hey #USMNT, @AlexiLalas has a message for you. pic.twitter.com/xzXfOywU22
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 11, 2017
