USA and Panama are set to lock horns later this weekend in the FIFA World Cup Qualification CONCACAF final stage round 13 of the competition. Showdown schedules for 28th March 2022 at 02:00 EAT.
USA sits second in the octagonal table with 22 points after 12 matches despite being the reigning Gold Cup champions, and is unofficially the best team in the CONCACAF region. Stars and Stripes have not been gracious hosts to opposing teams over the past few years, they are now unbeaten in their previous 20 home matches played on American soil. The US side has now won four of the past five encounters.
Stars and Stripes prepares for this meeting after they shared spoils 0-0 WC Qualifiers – N & C America with Mexico in their last match. In that game, USA had 37% possession and nine shots with four of the on target. Mexico on the other end got 11 shots with two of them on target.
After sitting in a comfortable top-four position heading into the final qualification window, Panama now find themselves on the outside of the World Cup picture, a point back of Costa Rica for a place in the inter-confederation playoffs. Their road matches have been there for the taking, but unfortunately, they have struggled with their finishing in the final third, failing to score in three of their away games in this final round of qualification.
Panama held each other to 1-1 WC Qualifiers – N & C America draw versus Honduras in their last game. In that match, Panama had 59% possession, eight shots with only one of them on target and a goal scored by Rolando Blackburn (23’). Honduras got nine shots with three of them on target and a goal by Kevin Josue Lopez Maldonado (65’).
USA vs Panama head to head
USA holds the upper hand in the head to head meetings between these two sides since 2004 having claimed 16 wins out of the 23. There have been three draws and Panama will be looking for their fourth victory.
- Panama 1-0 USA 11/10/21
- USA 6-2 Panama 16/11/20
- Panama 0-1 USA 27/06/19
- USA 3-0 Panama 28/01/19
- USA 4-0 Panama 07/10/17
Home
- Mexico 0-0 USA
- USA 3-0 Honduras
- Canada 2-0 USA
- USA 1-0 El Salvador
- USA 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Away
- Panama 1-1 Honduras
- Mexico 1-0 Panama
- Panama 3-2 Jamaica
- Costa Rica 1-0 Panama
- Peru 1-1 Panama
USA team news
Gregg Berhalter will be without the services of Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest. DeAndre Yedlin and Timothy Weah are out serving suspension while Reggie Cannon is unavailable due to Covid-19.
Panama team news
Panama boasts a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns heading into the fixture.
Prediction and odds
USA heads into the game with a superior and more experienced set of players in their ranks while Panama is winless in 11 of their preceding 17 fixtures, and they have won just twice on the road in their previous ten away fixtures.
- USA win
- Goals under 2.5
- Both teams to score (No)
