Preview: USMNT Faces Panama For Spot In 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Final

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

The USMNT has played more matches in California than any other state, but Wednesday will be the USA’s first visit to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, the home of San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League and San Diego State Aztecs football. The U.S. is 1-5-3 overall in America’s Finest City, most recently playing Serbia to a 0-0 draw in 2017 at the conclusion of the team’s January training camp. The USA is 55-30-32 all-time in the Golden State. 

The USMNT squad features several connections to Southern California. Forward Brandon Vazquez hails from nearby Chula Vista. Defender Jalen Neal is from Lakewood and is a homegrown player for LA Galaxy, defender Aaron Long comes from Oak Hills and currently plays for LAFC, while midfielder Cristian Roldan grew up in Pico Rivera. Midfielder Jackson Yueill played two years of college soccer at UCLA.

USA ROSTER NOTES

• Brandon Vazquez’s 88^th minute goal vs. Canada was the fourth of his international career and third of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. Vazquez is the first USMNT player to score three goals as a substitute in Gold Cup play.
• DeJuan Jones collected his second career assist on Vazquez’s goal. The left back registered his first assist in the group stage finale against Trinidad and Tobago last Sunday.
• With an average age of 24 years, 187 days, Sunday night’s lineup was the sixth youngest the USMNT has put out in a knockout round match. All five of the lineups that were younger were utilized since June 2021.
• James Sands became the 11^th USMNT player to appear in 10 consecutive Gold Cup matches. A substitute in his Gold Cup debut against Haiti on July 11, 2021, Sands has started each of his last nine Gold Cup appearances.
• At 19 years, 319 days, Jalen Neal became the youngest center back to appear for the USMNT in a knockout round match. He beats out Steve Pecher, who started in central defense for the USA in a World Cup qualifying playoff with Canada on Dec. 22, 1976 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• Following the group stage, Jackson Yueill was added to the USMNT roster to replace the injured Alan Soñora who was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain.
• Midfielder Aidan Morris was also given permission to depart camp due to personal reasons.
• Seven players are 24 or younger: Brandon Vazquez (24); James Sands and Jesús Ferreira (22); Aidan Morris (21); John Tolkin (20); Cade Cowell and Jalen Neal (19)
• Goalkeeper Sean Johnson is one of just nine players to make five or more Gold Cup rosters alongside DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Frankie Hejduk, Kasey Keller (six rosters each), Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Cobi Jones and Eric Wynalda (five rosters each).
• After earning tournament Best XI honors in 2021, goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Miles Robinson are among seven returnees from that year’s championship side. They are joined by Gianluca Busio, Sean Johnson, Cristian Roldan, James Sands and Jackson Yueill.
• Turner claimed the Golden Glove as best goalkeeper at the 2021 Gold Cup, earning five clean sheets and conceding only one goal in six matches. Robinson contributed mightily to those five clean sheets, while also adding two goals including the extra time winner in the 1-0 victory against Mexico in the final. 
• Nine players made their USMNT debut earlier this year: Julian Gressel, DeJuan Jones, Aidan Morris, Jalen Neal, Gaga Slonina, Alan Soñora, John Tolkin, Brandon Vazquez and Alex Zendejas.

USA-PANAMA

• Wednesday marks the USA’s 26th meeting all-time vs. Panama and the 22nd in official competition. Panama is the USMNT’s most frequent opponent at the Concacaf Gold Cup and ninth most frequent overall.
• The U.S. is 17-2-6 vs. Panama overall, 13-2-6 in official competition and 6-1-4 at the Gold Cup.
• The nations last met during qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a resounding 5-1 victory for the U.S. in Orlando on March 27, 2022. Christian Pulisic netted a hat trick and forward Jesús Ferreira also added a goal to bring the USA to the brink of World Cup qualification.
• The U.S. faced Panama in its group stage finale at the 2019 Gold Cup, a 1-0 victory in Kansas City, Kan. Forward Jozy Altidore scored the lone goal in the 66th to clinch the top of the group for the United States.
• Panama defender Omar Valencia is on the books at New York Red Bulls alongside U.S. left back John Tolkin.
• The USA-Panama series dates back to July 14, 1993, a 2-1 victory in the Gold Cup group stage.
• Eleven players on the Gold Cup roster have previous experience vs. Panama: DeAndre Yedlin (5 GP), Sean Johnson (4), Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan (3 each), Aaron Long, Matt Miazga, Djordje Mihailovic (2 each), Gianluca Busio, Jesús Ferreira, Miles Robinson, Matt Turner (1 each).
• Djordje Mihailovic made his USMNT debut against Los Canaleros, tallying the opening goal of the 3-0 win on Jan. 27, 2019 in Glendale, Ariz.

PANAMA ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COUNTRY)

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Luis Meijía (Unión Española/CHI), 22-Orlando Mosquera (Monagas/VEN), 12-César Samudio (Marathón/HON)

DEFENDERS (8): 14-Eduardo Anderson (San Carlos/CRC), 16-Andrés Andrade (Arminia Bielefeld/GER), 25-Ivan Anderson (Monagas/VEN), 3-Harold Cummings (Monagas/VEN), 15-Eric Davis (DAC 1904/SVK), 4-Fidel Escobar (Saprissa/CRC), 5-Roderick Miller (Turan Tovuz/AZE), 24-Omar Valencia (New York Red Bulls/USA)

MIDFIELDERS (8): 10-Yoel Bárcenas (Mazatlán/MEX), 8-Adalberto Carrasquilla (Houston Dynamo FC/USA), 20-Aníbal Godoy (Nashville SC/USA), 13-Freddy Góndola (Alajuelense/CRC), 6-Cristian Martínez (Najran/KSA), 19-Alberto Quintero (Cienciano/PER), 7-Jovani Welch (Academico de Viseu/POR), 21-César Yanis (Potros del Este)

FORWARDS (4): 11-Ismael Díaz (Universidad Católica/ECU), 17-José Fajardo (Cusco/PER), 9-Azarías Londoño (Comunicaciones/GUA), 18-Cecillio Waterman (Cobresal/CHI)

IN FOCUS: PANAMA
SOCCER HISTORY

• Panama has appeared in 11 of 17 Concacaf Gold Cups all time. Its best finish came as runner-up at the 2005 and 2013 tournaments, while Los Canaleros also reached the semis in 2011 and 2015.
• Los Canaleros finished fourth at the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Finals, falling to Canada 2-0 in the semifinal and 1-0 to Mexico in the third-place game.
• At the 2021 Gold Cup, Panama did not advance from its group, finishing third behind Qatar and Honduras.
• Los Canaleros made their FIFA World Cup debut at Russia 2018, finishing fourth in their group and 32nd overall.
• During qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Panama finished fifth in the eight-team Octagonal, four points out of an interconfederation playoff spot.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

• Panama reached the 2023 Gold Cup as one of the top two finishers in Concacaf Nations League A, Group B, winning its group over Costa Rica and Martinique.
• Los Canaleros opened Nations League play with 2-0 and 5-0 victories against Costa Rica and Martinique at home before drawing Martinique 0-0 on the road during the June 2022 window. Closing the group stage campaign in March 2023, Panama topped Costa Rica 1-0 on a late goal from forward José Fajarado

ROSTER NOTES

• Panama’s squad draws from all over the world, featuring players from Costa Rica, the United States, Venezuela (three each), Chile, Peru (two each), Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Slovakia (one each).
• Just one player competes domestically in Panama: midfielder César Yanis at Potros del Este. Three play with clubs in Major League Soccer.
• Forward Alberto Quintero is the roster’s most-capped player with 132 international appearances.
• Forward Cecilio Waterman’s eight goals lead the team, while forward Ismael Díaz is second in the Gold Cup Golden Boot race with four goals, trailing the USA’s Jesús Ferreira (six goals).

HEAD COACH THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN

• Head coach Thomas Christiansen took charge of Panama in July 2020. The Danish-born former Spanish international has led Los Canaleros to a 22-13-11 record.
• He joined Panama following previous coaching stints in Belgium, Cyprus, and England with Leeds United. He won the Cypriot league with APOEL in 2017.
• The forward enjoyed a long playing career across Europe, leading the Bundesliga in goals for the 2002-03 season with VfL Bochum.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

• If teams are tied at the end of regulation in the knockout stage, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played. If the score is still tied, the game will go to penalty kicks.
• Teams are permitted to use a maximum of five substitutes over the course of three moments. An additional substitution and moment will be allowed in extra time. Substitutions made during halftime, before the start of extra time and halftime of extra time do not count as one of the allotted moments.

GOING FOR GOLD

After taking home one continental title earlier this month with a dominant performance at the Concacaf Nations League, the USMNT is aiming for a record-tying eighth Concacaf Gold Cup this June/July. Another championship would mark the first time ever that one nation has won four straight Concacaf titles.

The U.S. entered the tournament as Gold Cup champion following a strong performance in the 2021 competition. There, the U.S. rattled off six-straight wins and allowed just one goal en route to the title. The championship run was punctuated with a dramatic 1-0 win against Mexico in the tournament final, as defender Miles Robinson headed home the game-winning goal in added extra time. It marked two continental titles in two months for the USMNT with two almost entirely different rosters.

Held every two years, the Gold Cup has crowned a confederation champion biennially since 1991. Similar to the UEFA European Championship or the Copa America, lifting the trophy brings prestige and regional supremacy across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The U.S. has won the tournament seven times (1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2021), just behind all-time leader Mexico (1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015). Canada is the only other tournament champion, winning in 2000. 

EXPERIENCE AT THE CORE

The Gold Cup roster is anchored with players who have tournament action under their belts. A total of 12 have previous experience at this competition, with nine having won at least once and 11 having reached a final. Matt Turner and Miles Robinson earned a spot on the 2021 Tournament Best XI, leading a total of seven players to lift the ’21 championship trophy. Five players helped the USMNT lift the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League trophy last month: Turner and Robinson plus goalkeepers Sean Johnson and Matt Turner, midfielder Alan Soñora and forward Alex Zendejas.

In addition, the squad features seven players from the 2022 FIFA World Cup team: Johnson and Turner plus defenders Aaron Long and DeAndre Yedlin, midfielder Cristian Roldan and forwards Jesús Ferreira and Jordan Morris.

Sean Johnson becomes the ninth USMNT player named to five or more Gold Cup rosters, joining DaMarcus Beasley (6), Landon Donovan (6), Frankie Hejduk (6), Kasey Keller (6), Clint Dempsey (5), Brad Guzan (5), Cobi Jones (5) and Eric Wynalda (5).

FRESH FACES

Complementing the veteran core is a number of young, hungry players looking to make their mark on the senior USMNT. Seven players are age-eligible for next summer’s 2024 Olympics, the U.S. men’s first appearance at the tournament since 2008: goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, defenders Jalen Neal, John Tolkin and Bryan Reynolds, midfielders Gianluca Busio and Aidan Morris plus forward Cade Cowell.

• WATCH: Jalen Neal and Cade Cowell Discuss Gold Cup and Look Forward to 2024 Olympics

Eleven players brought six or less caps and will look to gain valuable international tournament experience during the USA’s quest for an eighth Gold Cup: Cowell, Morris, Neal, Reynolds, Slonina and Tolkin plus defender DeJuan Jones, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic and forwards Julian Gressel, Brandon Vazquez and Alex Zendejas.

Prior to the 2021 Gold Cup, goalkeeper Matt Turner and Miles Robinson had a combined four international caps. The pair played every minute for the U.S. at the tournament, allowing just one goal and earning Best XI honors, catapulting them to some of the first names on the team sheet for the USMNT. Now, these players have the opportunity to take a similar step forward.

REPPING FROM NEAR AND FAR

As expected, this Gold Cup roster has a more U.S.-based influence than the Concacaf Nations League squad, with a total of 17 of 23 players coming from Major League Soccer. Players also join from clubs in England (2), Italy (2), Mexico (1) and Netherlands (1).

With two selections each, FC Cincinnati, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders lead the list of 12 MLS teams represented on the roster, followed by Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Inter Miami, LAFC, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York City FC and New York Red Bulls.