The U.S. men’s national team has a quick turnaround in Concacaf Gold Cup play this week, but B.J. Callaghan’s squad is remaining confident in their abilities with Panama opposing them on Wednesday night in San Diego.
Snapdragon Stadium will play host to the first USMNT-Panama showdown in Gold Cup action since 2019 as both teams aim to reach the tournament final on July 16 in Los Angeles. The USMNT needed penalty kicks to eliminate Canada 3-2 in Cincinnati after both teams grinded out a 2-2 result over 120 minutes.
Although Panama had an extra day of recovery from its 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Qatar, the USMNT is focused on the tough challenge ahead to return to the tournament final.
“I see a group that is confident, a group that was able to get through a tough game and showed that toughness and resilience to compete for 120 minutes,” Callaghan said Tuesday in his prematch press conference. “It takes a physical toll, but the group has been committed since the final whistle of the last match to use every recovery strategy we have and get ready for what’s next.”
Panama has rebounded nicely from its fourth-place finish in the Concacaf Nations League last month. Thomas Christiansen’s squad defeated Costa Rica and Martinique by respective 2-1 scoreline before tying El Salvador 2-2 in its group stage finale.
A 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Qatar featured Ismael Diaz’s hat trick after Edgar Barcenas opened the scoring after 19 minutes. The Panamanians have continued to use a good mix of experience and youth in their squad, with Anibal Godoy, Eric Davis, Harold Cummings, and Adalberto Carrasquilla all excelling this summer.
Godoy and Carrasquilla have helped dictate the tempo for Panama throughout the Gold Cup so far while the entire squad has plenty of chemistry during Christiansen’s reign as head coach.
“They [Godoy and Carrasquilla] are two good players you mentioned and I have experience playing against them in MLS” midfielder James Sands said. “We will have to be switched on and for us it’s about playing our game and dictate as much as possible. We have to be ready to go against them.”
“Since [Thomas] Christiansen has taken over this team, you can see the growth every time we have had the opportunity to play them,” Callaghan added about Panama. “They are very organized, they have a lot of variety and adaptability. They have an ability to beat you in several different ways and have a lot of dangerous players. We know we need to be focused for the entire match but also understand there will be different challenges to adapt to. We are expecting a team that will play with a lot of intensity and organization.”
Panama’s three-man backline will be tough for the USMNT to break down and the way Callaghan sets up his attack could be crucial on whether or not the Americans can find success in the final third. Jesus Ferreira and Brandon Vazquez will both be pushing to start after having opportunities throughout the Gold Cup so far.
Ferreira leads the team with six goals in four matches while Vazquez has delivered three goals off the bench as a key secondary scoring source. Vazquez, who was born and raised in San Diego, is returning home for his first international match at the new professional stadium and will certainly have extra motivation to start in front of family and friends.
Callaghan credited both players for helping the team reach Wednesday’s semifinal round, knowing the stakes remain high of returning to the Gold Cup Final.
“With Jesús, it’s about the complete performance,” Callaghan said. “He’s able to lead the line defensively for us. He starts the intensity that we ask for in the pressing. And he’s had a great Gold Cup in terms of goal-scoring output, which is the end result for me in terms of the whole process of how he plays the game.”
“I think this tournament has showed some of the best of Brandon,” Callaghan said. “You can see he is a handful in the 18-yard box but I am also proud of him coming in every camp he’s been called in and learning how we want to play. His work rate has been tremendous. He’s been a guy who has embodied our beliefs of everybody making an impact. He’s made the most of his time on the field and delivered quality minutes for us. We expect the same thing from him and expect more of that intensity.”
This team would have been severely challenged with either Mexico or Jamaica after back-to-back OT with very short rest. Put out the bench for the 3rd place game. All things considered, lots of solid team international experience for this mix of varsity & JV players, and some noteworthy individual performances.
– Ferreira was team MVP. He’s ready for the next step. Netherlands this winter perhaps would be a good landing spot.
– Sands was a close 2nd for team MVP. The sole #6 on the roster after the first game, and a strong outing each game. Not sure where he goes next, or stays in NYC.
– Gladbach wants Vazquez, maybe this winter.
– The teenagers Neal & Cowell got valuable experience. Strong upside for both.
– The Krafts are in it for the money, and do like to sell. The Revs are just a hobby to keep the stadium open. We’ll see if Jones gets an offer.
– Robinson is an enigma. Speed and athleticism, sometimes hard to judge completeness of his game. Look for a fall callup from GB.
agree with all with the one comment on Miles, that he looks more out of form than out of shape. coming back takes a while, on D and CB all the stuff all that more magnified
I like seeing him get the run anyway
Agreed. I think if Miles hadn’t had such a serious injury setback, he’d been on the plane to Qatar and maybe earned a nice transfer fee for Atlanta. The Gold Cup probably helped him get back into top form more than we realize. No question we need more depth at CB.
Did we really expect better with this team of scrubs? Aside from the illusion of proficiency vs the group minnows, the US was unable win any game in regulation.
C team not enough win a Gold Cup anymore.
No 3rd place game anymore
Sometimes your luck runs out. Depth of talent still an open question for this team. Hopefully Paredes, P. Aaronson get a lot of minutes this season at winger spots and T.Booth continues his upward trajectory.
Midfield after McKennie, Musah, Adams, De La Torre, and Reyna is a bit of a worry. Not worried about RB and LB is still an open question behind Robinson. Balogun and Pepi clear 1a and 1b. But we need wing depth for sure. A lot of these guys will be phased out in the next year.
One more game to play Sunday. Could it be USA V Mexico for third place?
No 3rd place match anymore
He played young players and they lost. A lot of people said they would rather see them lose with the young players so they should be happy.
After the ho-hum performance against Canada I had a feeling that we’d be in trouble against Panama. The poor first half followed by bad roster option finally bit the USMNT in the a$$.
I’m now hoping that Jamaica beat Mexico so that the winners of the final will be someone new and deserving.
all that work to set up a freaking roldan skyball service
they forgot they had a right side for a loooooooooong time
no Vasquez now is a bummer, tactical risk to changing his super sub role
we’ll see if maybe someone else can step up
and YES!!!!
silence the doubters hopefully some, in a big moment
big ply
great header from Morris, you can see on the replay he saw Jesus and did it on purpose
miazga the goal creator
people do not listen to me
Ferreira showing what kind of shape hes in after all of this torunament, Sands too, heading into ET. how long can they keep going? they need to!
can we buy any dead ball service? get gressel on.
big sands fan tonight
+1 and all tournament
What a save by Turner back there. Apparently Blas Pérez spilled everyone’s drinks in the studio, or wtte, when that one didn’t end up as a point for Panama.
Re S91, I like Balboa too, even though I find his Spanish a little harder to follow than some of the other guys. (The English words like “_so_ la verdad” instead of “entonces” or “así que” …) I also like Ramsés Sandoval on play by play, very clear and not as high-pitched as the ones with more pronounced Mexican accents.
Rats, now Ferreira has missed wide. But Blas Pérez says they’re making Panama nervous (finally) …
he seems eager to get a CB on but i think subbing reynolds would solve a chunk of their problems.
aren’t we glad he got miazga on for long who was playing fine
vazquez, son, i will have to teach you a proper kneeball finish
Happy to hear and see Tio Marcelo Balboa commentating. He is one of my fav USA men’s team players. A La Liga side should have picked him up and would have def loved to see him at Barcelona!
whatever we do, too narrow now, and poor execution in any defensive in any 3rd of the field. Panama just looks around and plays any beautiful ball that enters their minds. the difference between Zandy and Cowell on that side of the ball is giganic. Jesus not at the point of the D affects all as his effort leads everyone else to shame if they don;t support where as Vasquez hasn’t pressured, he and Cowell joggers.
combine that with the narrow midfield and those diagonals are easy pickings \.
re. 4 3 3, I cannot recal the USMNT ever playing it this narrow frankly
defensive pressure on the ball…not good enough, especially from front 3, in any 3rd of the field
so not just when we press, which we really haven’t, more fake pressure, but in all phases defensively
i do not get pressing panama. they are fast. they had more mids the whole first half. they will run our legs off. sit back. let them make mistakes. then counter.
i think the issue is we’re used to 433 opponents where the formations mirror. this 343 they can push up 2 layers of wing attack so we need 2 layers of wing marking. otherwise the switches and diagonals on all day.
he was aggressive up top but then the midfield has 2 DM. per usual stuck between all out attack and shut down defense. if you want to throw on vazquez and ferreira leave busio off, ferreira 10, gressel wide, no halfway stuff. now i am worried we have expended a lot of resources to no end. lucky to get to half zips.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but that starting lineup probably not the best.
need a formation change. we look tired and they are going to run us into the ground even if we don’t ship a goal.
the situation is risky because callaghan pushed a lot of his attacking personnel chips in early and then didn’t get a goal from it.
one reason i don’t like pressing is they expended a ton of energy upfield first 30′ for nothing and now look gassed.
you don’t have to get clever with the formation, anything with 4 or 5 mids. i am surprised we didn’t shift into 451 just to patch things this half. just push the wings back. 442 would work too.
Typically we’d shift to a 4-4-2 with Reyna or Weah dropping into wide midfield in defense. Neither Cowell of Ferreira were doing that. Panama doing a great job of Berhalter ball. Ping ping ping long diagonal
Starting lineup is
Cowell-Vazquez-Ferreira
Mihailovic——Busio
———-Sands———
Jones-Long-Miles-Reynolds
Only thing I’d quibble with is starting Cowell. Several have commented that he’s better off the bench once the game has opened up and I agree. The kid has Gareth Bale-type talent and athleticism but right now he’s a wild colt. When you start him he tends to be a turnover machine.
Two solutions would be starting Ferreira on the left and keeping Gressel in on the right – though you posted some eye-raising numbers the other day re: Gressel that were not good, to put it mildly – or you keep starting Zendejas and pair him with Ferreira. I’d personally probably stick with Zendejas and tune out the criticism of him. The guy has genuine quality and the problem has been between his ears – I truly think he’s been trying too hard – and given that our choices are Cowell, Gressel, Roldan, or a gimpy Jordan Morris, I still think he’s the best choice.
Holden said Zendajas is hurt.
Not much to look fwd to from the bench if need a goal late. Captain Chaos won’t get to come in and run at tired defenders but we will get to see if he can create chaos from the start.
to clarify my comment the other day, i think panama’s most dangerous feature remains their speed. your defense has to be athletic enough and have the footspeed to stay with them. period. most important part of the game plan. you have to be able to stay long enough with them where you can steal away the sloppy mistakes. i don’t know if callaghan is being deliberately vague or buttering them up as multitalented. and they have gotten somewhat more skilled and ball on the ground over time — as have ES and others. but they are still sloppy enough where the smart approach is stay in front of them and let them turn it over. play guys who can mark and run. do not run out a bunch of yeuill and miazga slowpokes. pretty simple stuff. but when the US loses to panama it’s usually being run off the field by superior athletes, and overrating static offense.
like i said other thread, what worked on panama last time was to aggressively pump balls in the box and make them defend deep and deal with players with chances close to goal. some of the initial goals were headers or PKs off same, others later on were balls fed to feet. i don’t know if precisely which even matters as long as the players can execute and get balls in dangerous places they have to defend. what doesn’t work are high pressing by hustle players or keepaway. you do not want to keep the game deliberately close and grind it. and putting guys out there to chase in the away game only seemed to result in a mess when we did get chances. arriola wins ball. arriola shanks shot. we weren’t winning the ball off pressing very much and we weren’t converting it. i think pressing a speed team is kind of dumb anyway. have the striker show to ball and pump balls to him. take your chance or see if they foul. do not obsess about possession for its own sake. panama is sloppy enough they will keep handing it back anyway. what you want are goals. we have proven quite capable of putting 4, 5, 6 on panama when we try. there is no reason to play it down and go for a more controlled result.