Tuesday night’s FIFA World Cup Qualifier between the U.S. and Panama will feature familiar faces when the two sides take the field of Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City at 7:05 p.m.
The match will pit Quakes teammates Chris Wondolowski, David Bingham and Anibal Godoy against each other as their respective nations seek a vital three points on the road to Russia 2018.
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Wondolowski and Bingham will no doubt have warned their fellow Americans about the threat posed in midfield by their club teammate. Godoy is coming off a hot start to the MLS season that has seen him record two game-winning goals and an assist in the Quakes' first three games of the season. The Panamanian has twice featured in the league’s Team of Week and currently sits atop the Audi Player Index rankings.
Even Head Coach Dominic Kinnear is hoping his form doesn’t carry over to tonight’s crucial match.
“If his form and goal scoring exploits here serve Panama well in their first game, I’ll be okay with that,” said Kinnear after the Quakes’ 3-2 comeback win versus Vancouver on March 11. “In the second game [against the U.S.], I am not so sure.”
On the other side of the field, Wondolowski, who was an unused substitute in the American’s 6-0 defeat of Honduras on Friday, has also experienced a bright start in his club’s MLS campaign so far. The Quakes captain has recorded a goal and two assists in three appearances and will be hoping to add to his tally in service of the national team.
Panama and the U.S. are currently third and fourth, respectively, in the Hexagonal qualifying table with just a point separating the two sides. Only the top three nations receive an automatic berth to the World Cup, so a win in Panama City would be a huge boost to either team.
Cordell Cato Will Face In-Form Mexico Team
Quakes midfielder Cordell Cato will also be involved in World Cup qualification on Tuesday when Trinidad and Tobago face Mexico at home at 4 p.m. The Caribbean nation will be looking for an upset win that would bring it closer to making a World Cup appearance for only the second time in its history. That task won’t be easy, however, as they’ll be facing an in-form Mexico team that has not tasted defeat since its historic 7-0 loss against Chile in the Copa America last summer. Mexico currently sits atop the Hexagonal with 7 points, while Trinidad and Tobago are fifth with three points.
