USA vs Panama preview: Americans on verge of quarter-finals

The USMNT got their Copa America campaign off to a decent start. With a 2-0 win over Bolivia, the US sits second in the group. Now they must get ready for a game against Panama. The Panamanians have caused some problems for the US of late, but a win for the Americans would likely send them through to the quarter-finals.

Bolivia recap

Unlike their previous Copa America appearance in 2016, the USMNT got this edition of the tournament off to a winning start. Eight years ago, they fell in their opening game to Colombia. This time around they put in a competent, professional performance against Bolivia.

Christian Pulisic got the party started in less than three minutes. Off a corner kick, he let fly from just inside the penalty area with a shot that the Bolivian keeper had no chance of stopping. The US may have taken their foot off the gas but were able to create separation just before halftime through a Folarin Balogun goal.

The second half didn’t see any goals, though the US had the lion’s share of the chances. Perhaps nobody wishes they had scored more than Ricardo Pepi. Several golden chances came his way, but Pepi was unable to convert any of them and the game finished 2-0. If that was a preview of finishing for the USA in Euro 2024, Panama may prove a more difficult task.

Preview: Panama is a familiar foe for the USA

Los Canaleros did not have as good of a start to their Copa America as the US did. They took on a flying Uruguay team that beat them 3-1. But the Panamanians figure to be a tougher test for the US than the Bolivians were.

Not only are US/Panama games traditionally brutal affairs, but the US has struggled with Panama lately. Panama has won two of the last three meetings between the teams. They won a World Cup Qualifier in Panama City back in 2021 and eliminated the US from last year’s Gold Cup in the semi-finals on penalties. The lone US win in that time was a 5-1 win in World Cup Qualifying in Orlando.

Panama earned their spot in this year’s Copa America by winning a two-legged series in the Nations League against Costa Rica last November. Their form in 2024 has been rough, however. They lost both Nations League games in Dallas this March to Mexico and Jamaica. They followed that up with two World Cup Qualifying wins: 2-0 vs. Guyana and 3-1 away to Montserrat. Since then, they’ve dropped their last two games, a home friendly to Paraguay and their Copa America opener against Uruguay in Miami.

Thursday’s game is set for a 6 p.m. ET kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. This is the first USMNT appearance in Atlanta since the 2015 Gold Cup semi-finals. Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the point of contention for Argentina players because of the quality of the pitch. That could be something to look out for when the USMNT takes on Panama.

The game will air on FOX in English and on Univision in Spanish.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.