SAN JOSE, Calif. – With the US national team crashing out of qualifying for this summer’s World Cup, American fans will have plenty of options to select from in terms of picking a new team to watch.
For San Jose Earthquakes die-hards, the choice might be a surprisingly easy one: Concacaf rivals Panama, for which Quakes midfielder Anibal Godoy has been a mainstay since debuting in 2010.
Godoy has earned 86 caps for his country, and along with fellow MLS stalwart Roman Torres of Seattle Sounders FC, he’s expected to help form the spine of a team that will make its World Cup finals debut against Belgium – currently sitting fifth in FIFA’s world rankings – in Sochi on June 18.
“Anibal Godoy is as fundamental a player here as he is for the national team and our head coach,” said Quakes defender Harold Cummings, who is bidding to join Godoy on the Panamanian roster this summer. “He’s a player that helps us as much in defense as he does in attack, and we have to take advantage of that, because he helps us.”
