Panama begin their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final tie away to Curaçao on Monday. The first leg kicks off at 16:00 local time at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, with the return leg scheduled for Sunday the 15th in Panama City.
Thomas Christiansen's side enters this clash on the back of a three-match drawing streak. Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Ecuador on October 5th in the Kirin Cup. Prior to that, they drew 1-1 with New Zealand and also 1-1 with India. This run of draws contrasts with their solid Nations League group stage, where they averaged a goal every 90 minutes. Their next fixture after this two-legged tie is a friendly against Guatemala in March.
Curaçao's opportunity
Curaçao manager Dick Advocaat has already named a 23-man squad for the two-legged tie. "Curaçao's national football team, the Blue Wave, will face Panama in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Nations League, with a place in the Final Four and qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup at stake," Advocaat stated in the pre-match press conference. The Dutch coach also emphasized the importance of maintaining defensive concentration for the full 90 minutes, especially against an opponent with the scoring ability Panama showed in the previous round.
Notable call-ups include the return of forward Jordi Paulina and defender Godfried Roemeratoe. However, attacker Jürgen Locadia was not included. The team's spine features goalkeeper Eloy Room, defender Armando Obispo, and the Bacuna brothers, Leandro and Juninho. The home side arrives in irregular recent form, having won only one of their last five matches.
Panama, for their part, lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in their last match, with Édgar Roberts in goal and a back three of Krug, César Blackman, and Carlos Harvey. The midfield pivot consisted of Aníbal Godoy and Carrasquilla, with José Luis Rodríguez and Cristian Martínez on the flanks. The lone striker was José Fajardo. Christiansen is expected to maintain a similar setup, seeking the defensive solidity that saw them finish their Nations League group conceding only two goals.
The tie is played over two legs, and the winner not only advances to the Nations League semifinals but also secures a spot in the next CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Panamanian team will aim to break their run of draws and secure a positive result from their Caribbean trip on Monday, November 9th, aware that a good first-leg result would give them a key advantage for the return match at home.
