USA vs Panama Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

Preview

Joel Amorim Jul 24, 2015 @ 12:56 am

Next Saturday, 25th of July 2015, the tournament hosts USA will go head-to-head with an enraged Panama team at the PPL Park in Chester for the Gold Cup’s third place playoff match.

The US team are most certainly devastated after their somehow unexpected defeat against Jamaica last night. Jürgen Klinsmann’s men were knocked out of the first semi-finals match of the night after another unimpressive first-half performance, which this time cost them a place in the final. Two goals, one from a long throw to the box and another from a superbly placed free-kick, were enough to slam the US team’s dreams of winning the Gold Cup once again and were a blatant proof that the tournament hosts should have done much better, especially when playing in front of their enthusiastic supporters. Mattocks and Barnes were the US team’s executioners and probably two of the main responsibles for this completely refurbished Jamaica, after their fairly unimpressive stint at Copa America last month.

The USA managed to improve after the break but not even Michael Bradley’s almost immediate goal was enough to get them back on the match. The current trophy holders had plenty more ball possession than their rivals and place no more, no less than 10 shots on goal, although they have only managed to overcome an utterly inspired Ryan Thompson once.

As for Panama, it is hard to describe what happened during their semi-finals’ match against Mexico. Both the players and the other members of the National Team were infuriated with the referee’s decisions throughout the match, especially when he “offered” Mexico a penalty kick on the dying moments of the game.  

On extra-time, the referee “allowed” Mexico to score again from the penalty spot, a goal that was the final blow to Panama’s Herculean resistance.

The last time Panama and the US measured forces was back in the group stage and the match ended on a 1-1 draw, a result that allowed both teams to proceed to the next round of the tournament.

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