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On paper, Panama represent the easiest opposition England will face at the World Cup in Russia, and probably the weakest side at the tournament. But the Three Lions have a worrying knack for making the biggest of mountains from the tiniest of molehills, and if there’s a calibre of opposition England always seem to underwhelm against, even if they do eventually come away with the right result, Panama undoubtedly fall into it.
Add in the fact the South American nation are something of an unknown quantity, and they could throw up a few embarrassing surprises for England. Fortunately though, Football FanCast is here to help; our World Cup cheat sheet covers everything Gareth Southgate needs to know about Panama to ensure England don’t exit a second consecutive major tournament on the back of a humiliating upset…
Who’s the gaffer?
Hernan Dario Gomez. Not exactly a household name in European football but the Colombian’s CV is solid. In fact, qualification with Panama made him one of just four managers ever to take three different countries to the World Cup. That follows two stints as Colombia boss, the first of which was largely successful but the second of which ended in off-field scandal, and a five-year spell in charge of Ecuador. He’s also managed Atletico Nacional and Independiente Medellin.
How did they qualify?
In the most dramatic and controversial fashion possible. At no point during the rather complex CONMEBOL qualification process did Panama occupy one of the automatic spots, but a culmination of unique results saw them beat the USA to qualification on the final match day – claiming victory over Costa Rica as Trinidad and Tobago beat the Americans. That historic win required two elements of good fortune, not only an 88th-minute winner from centre-back Roman Torres – who ironically plies his trade in the MLS – but also an earlier equaliser that didn’t appear to wholly cross the goal-line. Where’s VAR when you need it?
How have they fared in warm-up friendlies?
Far from brilliantly. Panama have only managed to score in one of their five warm-up friendlies a 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago back in April. Most worryingly, a month prior they were absolutely embarrassed by Switzerland, who trounced them 6-0 in a manner that made Gomez publicly admit the World Cup campaign would mostly be about avoiding humiliation. Equally tellingly, they could only muster up a scoreless draw with a plucky Northern Ireland side that most would expect the Three Lions to beat with relative ease. That’s a big indicator of how confident England should feel.
Who is the key man?
Considering Panama’s primary obligation will be to keep games as competitive as possible, even if it means spending long periods defending their own penalty area, the aforementioned Torres looks set to play a key role. He’s vastly experienced on the international scene with over 100 caps, plays his football at arguably the highest level of any player in the squad, and made himself something of a national hero with that goal against Costa Rica. The beastly defender is now very much seen as the embodiment of Panamanian football, and will be expected to not only organise but also inspire those around him – especially if Panama find themselves facing a very heavy deficit.
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How do they set up?
Following the 6-0 defeat to Switzerland, Gomez has been looking for a new way of setting up his side against European opposition, having previously deployed a 5-4-1 system. That saw Panama turn to 4-1-4-1 against Northern Ireland and Norway and while they really didn’t offer much going forward, it did seem to sure them up defensively, the midfield providing much greater protection to the back four. They still aren’t completely comfortable with the formation though and perhaps the biggest problem is the lack of impact from their wide midfielders, both of whom were hauled off at half-time against Norway. It’s the kind of setup that makes Panama tricky to disrupt and allows them to bog down England in central areas, but comes at a price of limited opportunities to break forward.
What are their weaknesses?
While Panama’s defence will be as organised as it is undoubtedly brave, there’s one obvious frailty in an abundant lack of pace. That actually runs throughout the whole team – Panama have one of the oldest squads at the tournament and the vast experience of their six centurions inevitably comes at a cost of slow legs. The other key weakness is their commitment to playing out of the back; an incredibly noble principle but one that could cost them dearly against England. Through Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard, the Three Lions not only have the pace but also the pressing ability to punish Panama by winning the ball in high areas.