Off the back of a wild shootout victory over Canada, the United States men’s national team is just a single victory from reaching the Gold Cup final as they chase their fourth Concacaf trophy in a row. But now they’ll face quite a foe in Panama who is rising to stake a claim to unseat Costa Rica as the fourth best team in Concacaf. Panama just put four goals past a Qatar side with World Cup experience showing that the United States will be in for a tough match just like the quarterfinals against Canada. Reaching the business end of the Gold Cup, BJ Callaghan will need to rotate to keep his team fresh while ensuring that Panama’s midfield doesn’t control the game in a similar way to Canada.
Here’s our storyline, how you can watch the match and more:
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
How to watch and odds
- date: Wednesday, July 12 | time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Snapdragon Stadium — San Diego, California
- TV: FS1 | Live streams: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: United States -170; Draw +260; Panama +490 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
United States: After Jesus Ferreira played 120 minutes against Canada, it may be time to rest him providing a different look against Panama’s center backs. While Ferreira has played a good tournament scoring six goals, Brandon Vazquez has also netted three times himself. Strong in the air, Vazquez is able to take advantage of DeJuan Jones’ strong crossing abilities. Panama is a side that the United States are familiar with in Gold Cup play having met 11 times but the United States has only won six meetings which shows the ability that Los Canaleros can bring.
In a tournament dominated by the United States and Mexico, being able to give them trouble has been the best that other Concacaf teams could do over the years. While the USMNT has struggled against the top sides that they’ve faced so far, each game has been a learning experience for this young squad and that will only continue facing Panama.
Panama: The midfield has been key for Panama and the Houston Dynamo man Adalberto Carrasquilla has been at the heart of their midfield. While he only has one assist in Gold Cup play, his defensive play to win balls back and dribble out of tight situations has kept Panama in matches. But there are also more players on the team who can give the USMNT trouble, especially forwards Cecilio Waterman and Ismael Diaz. Diaz’s four goals in the Gold Cup only trail Jesus Ferreira in the Golden Boot race.
Thomas Christiansen has led the team on a strong path since taking over in 2020 but to push Panama to the next level, he’ll need to lead them past the USMNT.
Predictions
In another thrilling match, the USMNT’s determination will push them to victory over Panama. Picks: United States 2, Panama 1