By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 25, 2012) US Soccer Players -- The United States takes to the road for the second game of 2012. The match at Panama City's Estadio Rommel Fernandez is aimed at simulating the atmosphere players will experience during World Cup Qualifying. The dress rehearsal serves the younger players called up by coach Jurgen Klinsmann for January camp as well as the coach himself, giving them a firsthand look at what it's like to play away in CONCACAF.
Four days after downing Venezuela 1-0 following a Ricardo Clark stoppage time goal in Glendale, AZ, the National Team will take on a Panamanian side composed primarily of Under-23 players. Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes called up 18 players for the game, including defender Carlos Rodriguez and veteran striker Blas Perez, who signed with FC Dallas during the offseason, and defensive midfielder Gabriel Gomez, who recently agreed to join the Philadelphia Union.
“The most important thing for us against the United States is to use this game to give players experience,” Valdes told reporters Sunday after announcing the squad.
Ten of the 18 players on the roster are eligible for the Olympics, including starting U-23 goalkeeper Luis Mejia. The 20-year-old Panama City-native plays for club side Fenix in Uruguay’s top flight and made his debut for the club in 2010. Mejia has four caps with the senior team since 2009. Also included are Perez, who at age 30 is the oldest player on the roster, and forward Luis Renteria.
Valdes said calling up younger players for a friendly is nothing new and defended his decision to do so. The game also does not fall on an official FIFA date, limiting Valdes because clubs are not authorized to release players for the game.
“There are always players under the age of 23 whenever we play a game, especially a friendly,” he said. “In an Olympic year, it is not at all unusual to do that for a friendly. I will use the USA game to tactically assess all players.”
Panama, currently ranked 47th by FIFA, will host the Americans in front of what is expected to be a sellout crowd of 32,000. Adding to the atmosphere is a bit of a rivalry dating back to the 2005 Gold Cup. In that tournament, Mexico exited in the quarterfinals to guest team Colombia with Panama beating guest team South Africa on penalties. Panama then beat Colombia to advance to the final where they lost on penalties to the United States.
Valdes, one of the best players to ever come out of Central America, is hoping to make that '05 Gold Cup run the second biggest moment in Panamanian National Team history by qualifying for the World Cup.
“We have a real chance of reaching the World Cup,” he said. “There is no doubt that reaching the World Cup will be difficult, but games like these (against the United States) help.”
At last year’s Gold Cup, Panama stunned the United States 2-1 in Tampa in the opening round and later finished ahead of the Americans in Group C. La Marea Roja defeated El Salvador in a shootout during the quarterfinals to set up a rematch in Houston against the USA in the semifinals. The Americans ultimately prevailed 1-0 thanks to a Clint Dempsey goal late in the second half.
This time around there is no Dempsey. The squad Klinsmann takes to Panama is a young, well-drilled and physically fit group that created many chances against Venezuela. Although Clark’s header came in the 97th minute – the latest goal ever scored in the second half in team history – off a well-placed Jermaine Jones corner kick, the Americans created chance after chance and played with a determination that made Klinsmann proud. For Klinsmann, the Panama game concludes his 2½-week training camp with a team consisting mostly of MLS players.
“We controlled completely (the game) and that gives (the players) confidence,” he said.
Klinsmann is hoping for a repeat performance against Panama. He named Jones team captain for the Venezuela game and the German-born midfielder served as a spark plug for the team, playing the ball forward, creating plays and dropping back to help the defense. Against Panama, the United States will need to shore up its defense and keep close tabs on Perez and Renteria. The 30-year-old striker has 22 goals in 38 games for Panama and continues to be a big offensive threat.
Historically, the United States has dominated the series, going 7-1-2 all-time against the Central Americans with 20 goals for and six goals against. All ten previous meetings between the two countries have come in either the Gold Cup or World Cup Qualifying. This will be the first time the teams meet in a friendly. If history is any guide, this game will be anything but.
Clemente Lisi is a New York-based writer. Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ClementeLisi
