U.S. Takes a Cautious Approach on Panama
Tonight, the road to soccer’s 2006 World Cup twists through the Estadio Rommel Fernandez, a small, poorly lighted and sometimes waterlogged stadium where Panama will play the U.S. in a key qualifying game.
Evening thunderstorms are predicted and the match might mirror the weather.
Panama must win or consider itself out of the running. A victory for the U.S., on the other hand, would leave the Americans in an enviable position halfway through the final qualifying round.
By winning, they would have 12 points after five games, but midfielder Landon Donovan has offered a word of caution.
“It’s still early,” he said after scoring twice when the U.S. defeated Costa Rica, 3-0, in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
Donovan remembers what happened during qualifying for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
“We had 13 points after five games and we thought we were God’s gift to the world,” he said.
The qualifying battle then turned ugly, the U.S. lost three in succession and did not clinch its place until the next-to-last match.
“We’re aware of that and we’re more experienced this time,” Donovan said.
The question is whether U.S. Coach Bruce Arena will demand the same aggressive approach that he did before Saturday’s game.
“I try to instill that attitude in my team each and every game,” Arena said. “Sometimes the message gets through, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Tuesday afternoon, Arena was anticipating a game of “wild tackles” and all-out effort, despite the heat and humidity.
“I think it’s going to be a game where it’s do or die for them,” he said. “Field conditions are probably [going to be] slick, so it’s going to be challenging physically.”
With 15 to 20 points needed to reach Germany ’06 from soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region, Panama has only two.
It is coming off a 2-0 road loss Saturday to Trinidad and Tobago, and an exhausting, flight-delayed, 36-hour journey home via Miami. It cannot afford to play for a tie. Not at home. Not in front of its own fans. Not if it hopes to stay in contention.
“They’re going to throw everything they have at us,” Arena said. “I can’t imagine after five games having two points [that] you’re going to be in great shape. I don’t think three points is necessarily great, either.
“They have to come at us hard. I’m not sure they’re capable of playing us over 90 minutes. If we’re smart, we’re capable of coming out of here with three points.”
The U.S. and Panama played twice in the previous round. Panama outplayed the U.S., which was fortunate to escape with a 1-1 tie Sept. 8 on a rain-soaked night when one end of the field was under water.
Then, on Oct. 13, the U.S. routed Panama, 6-0, in Washington in a game in which Donovan scored twice.
“The way we start the game is probably going to determine the way the game goes,” Donovan said. “If we start sluggish, it could be a long night. If we start well and get an early goal, like we’ve done in a lot of these qualifiers, then it’ll be easier.”
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World Cup ’06
Facts and figures for today’s CONCACAF qualifying game for World Cup 2006, between the United States and Panama:
Where -- Panama City.
* When -- 6:30 p.m. PDT
* TV -- ESPN2, 10 p.m.; Telemundo, 11:30 p.m.
