Panama and luxury match against Argentina, even if it won’t offer the best

When the Panamanians trample the Monumental, they will face, in terms of hierarchy, the most relevant match in history its history was officially born in 1938, with a 3-1 against Venezuela. The federation had been founded a year earlier and joined FIFA the same year. However, he will not bring his best players to Argentina nor will his coach, Thomas Christiansen. Why? Priority to the match against Costa Rica on the 28th for the Nations League.

In 1961 he was one of the founders of the nascent CONCACAF which will have its big party at the 2026 World Cup: three organizers (Mexico, the United States and Canada), three direct access slots and two slots in the inter-confederation repechage.

That means: In this World Cup, which will have 48 participants, this confederation can have up to eight representatives. Panama is one of its serious contenders for those places.

From the world premiere to the traumatic elimination towards Qatar 2022

Eight decades after its founding party, The Canaleros -its most popular nickname- accepted a World Cup, Russia 2018. Directed by Colombian Hernán Darío Gómez -influential collaborator of Francisco Maturana, at Atlético Nacional and the team selected at the time of Pablo Escobar- agreed on goal difference in the hexagonal final: finished third by minus one and ahead of Honduras, who also added 13 points but with a difference of minus six.

The Catracos they then fell in the repechage to Australia (1-3 on aggregate). The big disappointment was the United Stateswho placed fifth after losing in the last round against already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago, in Couva.

The transition to the World Cup in Russia was the continuation of the bad signs of the previous friendlies: one win, two draws, three defeats. None of those matches were against a great opponent.

Already on the road to historic participation, it could not live up to the expectations generated in its country: three played, three lost. The first was on 18 June: the great Belgian generation won 3-0 in Sochi. The worst came six days later: England – who specialize in early wins and midway defeats – beat him 6-1, in Nizhny Novgorod. The first goal in Panamanian World Cup history was scored by central defender Felipe Abdiel Baloy Ramírez. After the World Cup, he retired after a 20-year career.

Farewell to the Eurasian country took place in Saransk. Tunisia was the rival. Panama started their win with a goal against Yassine Meriah. But in the second half they overturned it and Gomez’s team left the long-awaited premiere empty.

In the World Cup qualifiers in Qatar, Panama has renewed a good part of its roster and its expectations. Already directed by Thomas Christiansen, he accepted the final octagonal. The top three qualified directly and the fourth went to the repechage with the winner of Oceania. The top three were joined by the 2026 organizers. Costa Rica finished fourth, who defeated New Zealand 1-0, getting into the last car leading to Qatar.

Panama, which from the second to the eleventh round was in the top four, was left with fifth place and all the frustration. The causes of the elimination were related to their difficulties adding as guests: unbeaten at home; he lost five of seven games. Ultimately, they were four points behind Costa Rica.

They are now following the stages of a rematch. The single-elimination competition format fuels the excitement. We will see.

The long and possible road to the 2026 World Cup

At the moment, Panama occupies the 61st position in the FIFA ranking, ie the fifth including only those of CONCACAF. In short, he is among the candidates to access the first World Cup with triple headquarters. Jamaica (64th), El Salvador (74th) and Honduras (81st) and Curaçao (86th) seem to be the direct rivals to beat. It being understood that, beyond the three organizers, Costa Rica seems to have a safe passport for the great event.

In the current Nations League 22/23, Panama got off to a good start in League A: at home they once again showed themselves to be flawless (they beat Costa Rica 2-0 and Martinique 5-0); as a guest, still the difficulties (equalized without goals with Martinique).

With those results, already qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 and will seek a place in the Top 4 of the Nations League: that possibility will be defined five days after his presentation in front of the world champion Argentina.

The globetrotting scorer who imagines directing his first World Cup, but won’t come to Argentina

Thomas Christiansen explained it in recent days: “For me it would be exciting to go to Argentina to face the champion, against Messi and company, but for me it’s not the priority. I won’t go to Argentina, because for me the priority is the Nations League and I don’t want to risk anythingFive days after the duel with Argentina, Panama will face Costa Rica for a place in the semi-finals of the Nations League. In any case, his decision received strong criticism from the press and discomfort among the public, as seen in television polls..

He will be replaced for this appointment in Buenos Aires by Jorge Dely Valdés, assistant to Christiansen and coach of the Under 20s. Details: the panangle -as he was known in his football days- He was a scorer in Argentina’s rise between 1986 and 1990, with Central Norte de Salta, Deportivo Paraguayo and El Porvenir.

In his career as a footballer, Christiansen became the top scorer in the Bundesliga: In 2003 he scored 21 goals for Bochum. Also He had a brief spell at Barcelona, ​​​​​​with which he won the European Super Cup in 1992 (managed by Johann Cruyff). And he also scored a goal for Spain against Lithuania in a 1994 World Cup qualifier.

But what if it’s Danish? Yes, he was born in a small village of just under 5,000 inhabitants (it could very well resemble the one in the Danish series Rita) called Hadsund. He soon went to Spain and was nationalized to play for the national team, in La Roja.

Before, during and after those goals he was a globetrotter: as a player he went through Sporting Gijón, Osasuna, Racing de Santander, Oviedo and Terrassa, all Spanish; then followed: Panionios, from Greece; Herfølge, from Denmark; Bochum and Hanover, from Germany. At the age of 33, he gave up his career as a footballer.

Already as a coach he continued on the planes. He started out as a head coach in Cypriot football: he had two good campaigns with AEK Larnaca and went to APOEL, who won as league champions and runners up in the Cypriot Cup. In the 17/18 season he was the manager of Leeds United. Prior to his arrival in Panama, he headed the Union Saint-Gilloise.

In 2020, he took charge of the Panamanian national team to replace Argentine Américo Gallego. The Toulon He was fired because they couldn’t pay him due to the economic crisis (among other crises) caused by the Coranavirus.

Thomas couldn’t take it to Qatar. Now he wants revenge, in the region that adopted him.

How does Panama play? What’s wrong? How would it go in Conmebol?

Some details of the Panamanian team that will visit the Monument:

“Panama was, for a long time, a kind of sleeping giant. He hinted but didn’t achieve much. His role has been growing: he agreed to the World Cup in Russia, in 2018; he was close to going to Qatar and now in a World Cup with facilities for The CONCACAF team appears as a candidate for its second presence in the top event”, says from El Salvador, the journalist and storyteller Gustavo Flores, sports director of Diario de Hoy, who knows a lot about football in the region .

Flores adds a fundamental detail: Panama doesn’t have a strong championship but with its ‘Legionnaires’ he has managed to put together a strong team, especially in his stadium, Rommel Fernández”. Panama has soccer players of different categories in 27 countries. Anyway, against Argentina he will not offer his best version.

In the coach’s words it was clear: “For me it would be a showcase, but in the end I owe it to the Panamanian federation, to the team and If I travel and leave the players to train alone in Panama, what image do I give?As if the match against Costa Rica is not important“.

Last Sunday, in their last friendly before facing the world champions, Panama drew 1-1 against Guatemala, at PayPal Park, in San Jose, California, USA. Center scorer Carlos Harvey scored the goal by The Canaleros. Christiansen, who was in charge of the team, organized an initial 4-3-3. Will he be encouraged by a similar proposal under Argentinean skies?