Panama drew 1-1 with New Zealand on Thursday in the Kirin Cup semi-final in Japan. The result, after an intense match, leaves Thomas Christiansen's side on the brink of the friendly tournament's final.
New Zealand took an early lead. Marko Stamenić scored in the 13th minute following an assist from Ben Waine. Panama, who dominated with 64% possession, pressed hard for an equaliser. They found it in first-half stoppage time. Dylan Herbert, the 21-year-old forward, finished a cross from José Luis Rodríguez to make it 1-1 just before the break.
The second half produced no further goals in regular time, despite both teams registering eleven shots each, a statistic you can explore further in our stats section. The match went to a penalty shootout to decide the finalist, where both sides showed remarkable accuracy. Amir Murillo, Carlos Harvey and Víctor Griffith scored their spot-kicks for Panama, while Mijahir Jiménez was the only one to miss. New Zealand converted five of six to advance.
Thomas Christiansen made six substitutions during the match, including the introductions of Omar Valencia and Azarias Londono. The only yellow card went to Panama's Martín Wilhelm Krug for a foul in the 88th minute.
This draw extends Panama's unbeaten run to two matches, following the 1-1 draw with India last week. However, the World Cup picture is more challenging. The team sits fourth in their group with zero points from three opening defeats, a position reflected in the current standings. The team will aim to translate the solidity shown in friendlies to the competition that truly matters.
