Panama face crucial clash with El Salvador, hope alive for World Cup spot | OneFootball

The coach of Panama, the Spanish-Danish Thomas Christiansen, stated this Monday that his team faces the decisive game against El Salvador on Tuesday, in the last round of the Concacaf Qualifiers, with the "hope" of securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

"The team will react very well. They know what they need to do, they know who they will face, and they are aware of the hope the entire country has to qualify for this World Cup," Christiansen said in a press conference.

Panama will host El Salvador on Tuesday at the Rommel Fernández Stadium, in the last round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

The Qualifiers guarantee three direct spots for the World Cup — one for each of the three group winners — and two spots in an intercontinental playoff for the two best runners-up.

"Tomorrow is a game for the whole country; it's not just 11 players on the field," said Christiansen.

"We have to win the match, but we need to do it step by step, keep a cool head, have clear ideas, and the conviction that we want to win," he added.

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In Group A, Suriname and Panama, tied at the top with 9 points, compete for the spot. The Caribbean team visits Guatemala (5), while the 'canaleros' host the last-place El Salvador (3).

Suriname has the advantage of having three more goals in goal difference compared to Panama, which, to qualify, needs to hope for a slip from their rival in the visit to Guatemala — which has nothing at stake — or to thrash El Salvador by a large margin to reduce the goal difference gap.

Christiansen dismissed the idea that Guatemala, led by the Mexican Luis Fernando Tena, would show less intensity for having nothing at stake against Suriname.

"I have no doubts, knowing coach Tena, who is a very good and respected coach, that he certainly wouldn't risk his reputation by letting his team lose in such an important match, especially after such a successful process he had in Guatemala," Christiansen stated.

The Panama coach indicated that he expects his team to maintain a "balance" between defense and attack, where he considers it important to create plays and "maintain possession" to reach the opponent's goal.

He also dismissed the idea that El Salvador, another team already eliminated, would make things easier.

"They arrive wounded and with a lot of pride," said the coach, who predicted a "dangerous" match for Panama.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.