Panama can't expect many miracles in tough group

You know a team has performed above itself when the government declares a national holiday to celebrate their qualification for the World Cup finals, and that is exactly what happened in Panama following the 2-1 home win against Costa Rica, which coupled with the USA's shock defeat to Trinidad and Tobago saw them book their ticket to Russia.

It is the first time that Panama, which previously used to be thought of as a country where baseball was the number one sport, have reached the World Cup finals and they will travel to Russia under the guidance of Colombian coach Hernan Dario (Bolilo) Gomez, a 62-year who will make history as only the second coach to have led three different nations at the World Cup finals.

The experienced Gomez was assistant coach to Paco Maturana with Colombia in 1990 and 1994 and head coach with his homeland in 1998. He then led Ecuador to that nation's first ever World Cup finals appearance four years later, and although his side failed to make it into the last 16, they put up a credible display, losing narrowly to Mexico and beating Croatia in the group stage.

Gomez will need all of his experience and more than a slice of fortune to get out of a group containing Belgium, England and Tunisia. Belgium, who Panama face in their opening game, are one of the favorites to win the competition, while England and Tunisia are ranked 13th and 14th in the current FIFA world rankings.

Panama's potential is currently reflected in their place 56th in the world, although this is a vast improvement on the 150th place in the rankings the country occupied in 1995.

Panama's red-shirted supporters will of course travel to Russia with hope in their hearts, but recent displays in warm-up games offer little room for optimism that they will repeat Costa Rica's exploits from four years ago, with just a narrow 1-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago to their credit in 2018.

A preparation game on May 29th ended in a 0-0 draw at home to Northern Ireland (who are not going to be in Russia), while a trip to Europe earlier in the year showed just what they are up against with a 6-0 thrashing against Switzerland and a 1-0 defeat to Denmark.

Gomez has plenty of experience in his squad with 10 players (and six likely starters) aged 30 or over, with midfielder Gabriel Gomez perhaps the standout figure after 144 appearances for his country, while the majority of the defense currently ply their trade in US Major League Soccer.

However, the squad is lacking the European experience which could be important in Russia, with only 36-year-old goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, (Dinamo de Bucharest), defender Erick Davis (Dunajska Streda - Slovakia), Jose Luis Rodriguez (Genk) and Ismael Diez de Leon (Deportivo la Coruna) currently playing in European leagues, with both Rodriguez and Diez de Leon actually playing for their club's B-teams.

Gabriel Torres is likely to pose the main threat in attack for Panama and he will be accompanied by the country's two top scorers: Blas Perez, who has 43 goals in 117 appearances and Luis Tejada with 43 goals in 105 games. The problem is, however, that Tejada is 36 years old, while Perez is 37.

Panama have the oldest squad in Russia, and with little recovery time between matches, that is also going to be a factor against them. Gomez is certain to combat that by using a defensive 5-4-1 formation, but at times that could well look something more like a 9-1-0 if they are forced to defend deep.

It certainly looks as if Panama will have to defend deep and aim to soak up pressure while looking to snatch something from a set-piece. Their defenders have a reputation for not taking any prisoners in their challenges and could also find themselves collecting cards on a regular basis. Ending one or more of their matches with a player less is also a very real possibility, especially if referees in Russia look to crack down on physical play.

In short, Panama's journey to Russia has been a football fairy tale: a side once ranked 150th in the world knocking out the USA and earning the right to play against the best sides around.

However, even in Cinderella, the clock struck midnight, the carriage turned into a pumpkin and she found herself walking home in rags. And when Eden Hazzard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne have finished with them on June 18th, Panama's World Cup dream might also lie in tatters.