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The United States men’s national team will look to maintain its position atop the 2022 World Cup CONCACAF qualifying standings when it takes on Panama Sunday night at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.
It’s the second of three qualifying matches in October. The USMNT is coming off a strong 2-0 win over Jamaica that vaulted them from third to first in the Octagonal standings, but the Panama matchup figures to be a trickier test. The game is on the road, there’s a potential for rain in the forecast and Panama has proven to be resolute in defense so far in qualifying, with two goals allowed in four matches.
The USMNT will also be missing several key players for this contest, so it will be up to coach Gregg Berhalter’s young squad to show that it has the depth and maturity to get a result in difficult conditions.
Here’s how to watch the match.
USMNT vs. Jamaica Match Info
When: Sunday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama
TV/Live stream: Paramount+, Universo
Odds: USA -125 (wager $125 to win $100), Panama +390 (wager $100 to win $390), draw +220
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2022 World Cup CONCACAF Qualifier Standings
1. USA (2-2-0, 8 pts, +5 goal differential)
2. Mexico (2-2-0, 8 pts, +2 GD)
3. Canada (1-3-0, 6 pts, +3 GD)
4. Panama (1-2-1, 5 pts, +2 GD)
5. El Salvador (1-2-1, 5 pts, -2 GD)
6. Costa Rica (0-3-1, 3 pts, -1 GD)
7. Honduras (0-3-1, 3 pts, -3 GD)
8. Jamaica (0-1-3, 1 pts, -6 GD)
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Team USA proved against Jamaica it can without Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and John Brooks, all of whom are out for the October qualifying window with injuries. Against Panama, they’ll have to prove they can perform just as well without a few other key players.
Midfielder Weston McKennie didn’t travel with the team to Panama because of a minor quad injury suffered against Jamaica. Per ESPN.com’s Jeff Carlisle, Berhalter said the injury is “not severe” and he hopes McKennie is available for the next match against Costa Rica.
The team will also be missing backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen and defender Antonee Robinson, who play in England. According to Britain’s COVID-19 restrictions, the two players would have had to quarantine upon returning to England if they visited a high-risk country like Panama, per the Associated Press.
The missing players means more opportunities for the reserves on Team USA. Shaquell Moore or George Bello could see playing time with Robinson missing, while Kellyn Acosta or Sebastian Lletget could get a start with McKennie missing.
One player Berhalter will surely be counting on is Ricardo Pepi, the 18-year-old striker from FC Dallas. He scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Jamaica, one on a header and one finishing a short cross. He also had a goal and assist in the team’s 4-1 win over Honduras in September. His finishing, movement and work rate have been excellent, and he’ll have another chance to star against Panama.
“We’re all excited,” Berhalter said, per ESPN.com’s Kyle Bonagura. “For us, we’re just sitting there and we’re on the train. He’s an 18-year-old who gets an opportunity, takes advantage. What you see and I think what I really like is that he has this instinct, and it’s really hard to teach that to players.”
Another player who might see more playing time is winger Tim Weah, who came on as a substitute against Jamaica. He provided a great spark off the bench, making decisive runs and taking on defenders. He came close to notching a couple of late assists. If Berhalter needs to rest Brendan Aaronson or Paul Arriola, Weah will likely get the nod.
As for Panama, they are facing immense pressure to get a result after losing 1-0 to El Salvador on Thursday. While the defense has been solid throughout qualifying, the attack has left much to be desired.
Los Canaleros managed to put three goals past Jamaica, but have scored just once in their other three matches. They didn’t get a single shot on target against El Salvador. Veteran striker Rolando Blackburn, who has two goals this qualifying cycle, will once again figure to be the focal point of the attack.
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If there’s a danger here for the United States, it’s starting slow. All seven of the team’s goals in World Cup qualifying have come in the second half. They did a better job against Jamaica, drawing two fouls on clear goal-scoring opportunities, but couldn’t convert the ensuing set pieces.
Panama will be pouncing on any opportunity they can to get the offense going, and it will be tough to battle back from a deficit on the road against a solid team that is hungry to return to the World Cup after reaching it for the first time in 2018.
After Panama, the United States will finish out this qualifying window with a home match against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
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