Pre-Game Hype: USMNT at Panama

USMNT v Panama

Location: Estadio Rommell Fernandez (Panama City, Panama) Time: 10pm ET Location: Estadio Rommell Fernandez - Panama City (Panama) TV: beIN Sports, Telemundo, NBC Universo (remember.. home federations control TV rights) Watch with your #AOFamily at one of 193 chapter bars

THE HYPE

The USMNT crushed Honduras 6-0 on Friday, which has reignited that hunger that we’ve become accustomed to seeing from players and supporters alike. Sebastian Lletget, Michael Bradley, Christian Pulisic, and a Clint Dempsey hat trick secured the points for the boys. Honduras looked lost at times and had no answer for the 18 year-old maestro from Hershey. Pulisic’s goal and 2.5 assists barely echo the impact that he had on the match. What a night. What a performance. The win leapfrogged the U.S. into 4th place on GD, and another win on Tuesday would do wonders for Bruce Arena’s next few months in charge. There were incredible performances all over the field, but we’ll need another one of those tonight. Our boys head into Panama City on Tuesday night with a lot left to do in qualifying, and Bruce Arena will want to keep this momentum heading into June’s qualifiers. The US and Panamanians are no strangers to one another. The USMNT eliminated Panama in the corresponding fixture in 2013, gifting Mexico a World Cup birth that they did not deserve. We gave it to them anyway, because we don’t like losing. The win on Friday did come at a price, though. Lletget, Jordan Morris, Michael Orozco, and John Brooks are all sent back to their clubs after respective injuries. Paul Arriola steps in alongside the suspended Jermaine Jones to play in Panama City. Here’s the full roster: DEF: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo; 33/6), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 10/1)), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City/ENG; 20/2)), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca/MEX; 13/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 3/0), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna/MEX; 1/0), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas; 0/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City; 16/3) MID: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; 1/0), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana/MEX; 1/1), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union; 7/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 32/6), Jermaine Jones (LA Galaxy; 16/0), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls; 18/2)), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers; 4/0), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 6/3) FOR: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 35/16), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC; 37/17), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0) Here’s Panama’s lineup: GK: Jaime Penedo (Dinamo Bucharest), Jose Calderon (Real Cartagena) DEF: Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders), Felipe Baloy (Tauro), Harold Cummings (San Jose Earthquakes), Amir Murillo (New York Red Bulls), Luis Ovalle (Zamora), Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo), Fidel Escobar (Sporting Lisbon B), Erick Davis (Dunajska Streda) MID: Anibal Godoy (San Jose Earthquakes), Armando Cooper (Toronto FC), Miguel Camargo (NYCFC), Ricardo Avila (Koper), Edgar Barcenas (Tapachula), Gabriel Gomez (Atletico Bucaramanga), Amilcar Henriquez (Arabe Unido), Josiel Nunez (Plaza Amador), Alberto Quintero (Universitario) FOR: Blas Perez (Blooming), Abdiel Arroyo (Danubio), Luis Tejada (Universitario), Tony Taylor (Pacos de Ferreira), Gabriel Torres (Lausanne Sport) Tonight is another HUGE match in qualifying. For those who traveled to Panama with #AOAway, huge props to you. For those who are in the United State – check our your bars here Time to MOUNT UP, AO. Sing loud.
March 29, 2017