Rough road lies ahead for Panama side

Panama finished 3rd in Concacaf’s qualifying round

What you need to know:

  • Team Countdown - Panama. The story of the World Cup first timer over the years has stretched from remarkable self-embarrassment as DR Congo (then Zaire) did by losing 9-0 to Yugoslavia in 1974, astonishing heroics as Croatia managed at France’98, and anything in between, as the likes of Ecuador, Slovenia and Angola managed.

Panama this year becomes one of only 79 countries to have ever qualified for football’s biggest event, but the most noteworthy chapter of their World Cup journey was already written via the 2-1 win which ensured qualification for Russia at the expense of the more seasoned USA. When the tournament proper starts, you have to worry for a team with very little imagination in the attacking areas and the propensity to fall apart defensively, as they did in a 6-0 friendly defeat against Switzerland in March.
Los Canaleros’ dearth of quality shows in the absence of players plying their trade in the top leagues- the country’s best players turn out in the MLS division of USA, several are home-based, with a few more featuring in South American leagues and just one playing for Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna. Against Belgium, England and Tunisia, they will be found wanting.

How they play
Panama’s plan is dictated by its players’ low provision of footballing gifts; a squad full of athletic but technically limited hard workers naturally tends to rely on its defensive organisation to frustrate opponents. And, they are quite physical—sometimes overly so.

Strengths
The disciplined and hardworking attributes of the team aside, Panama’s real star will be Colombian coach Hernán Darío Gómez, who has vast World Cup experience having previously led Colombia and Ecuador to this stage in 1998 and 2002 respectively.

Weaknesses
The Panamanians are poor at the either end of the pitch, which partly explains why they are the only World Cup finalists this year who qualified with a negative goal difference.

Star man
Román Torres is a defender who scored the historic goal that delivered Panama’s World Cup place. He plays his club football for Seattle Sounders in the MLS.

One to watch
Deportivo La Coruña’s Ismael Díaz 21, is one of the few youngsters likely to feature in an ageing Panamanian team at the World Cup. Although he only plays for the Spanish side’s B team, he earned his first international cap aged only 17.

Prospects
Anyone watching Panama, will not help but be impressed by the discipline and dedication of its players, but the team’s lack of ideas once they get out of their own half is quite alarming, and in the end will account for their first round elimination. Up against the two Group G favourites Belgium and England first, it is very likely they will be playing only for pride in their final game against Tunisia. But even before they get to that game, they are the kind of team that could lose 5-0 or force a shock goalless draw against their more fancied opponents.

Fifa ranking
Panama are ranked No.55 by Fifa.

Coach
Hernán Darío Gómez

Probable lineup

1. Jaime Penedo
2. Adolfo Machado
3. Felipe Baloy (captain)
4. Fidel Escobar
5. Michael Amir Murillo
6. Valentin Pimentel
7. Anibal Godoy
8. Edgar Yoel Barcenas
9. Gabriel Gomez
10. Alberto Quintero
11. Blas Perez