The Panama national football team is set to face England on Saturday in New Jersey, United States, with the goal of avoiding a historic sixth consecutive World Cup defeat after being eliminated early from the tournament.
Panama's squad is the oldest and most-capped at this World Cup.
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Head coach Thomas Christiansen is managing internal tensions following a training ground disagreement on Friday between forward Cecilio Waterman and teammate Jose Luis Rodriguez.
Key Players to Watch
Midfielder Cristian Martinez has emerged as a standout performer, becoming the first Panamanian to win FIFA's man-of-the-match award during their game against Croatia.
"Cristian was spectacular," said Christiansen. "He scored numbers [in various metrics] we hadn't seen in six years."
Christiansen downplayed the training incident involving Waterman, who previously celebrated a Nations League winner by hugging a TV pundit.
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"He was there, and it came out of my heart to go hug and celebrate with him. It was totally natural," Waterman said.
Wing-back Michael Amir Murillo, who recently transferred to Besiktas after a spell at Marseille, emphasized his mentality as his main strength.
Defender Jose Cordoba and midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla remain crucial to the roster.
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Carrasquilla, the 2024 Concacaf men's player of the year, is reportedly fit to return from a thigh muscle injury for the final group match.
