In the night of Wednesday, the last teams in the Gold Cup 2019 intervene in the event. In Group D, two presumptive favorites romp with the US and Panama, while Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana are considered outsiders. But the United States is in transition.
World Cup contenders Panama have been looking for their form since the World Cup, so at least the Soca Warriors from Trinidad & Tobago must be given chances to qualify for the quarter-finals. A success in the opening match against Panama would be enormously helpful for this endeavor.
Panama has become a serious competitor in the CONCACAF zone. The Canaleros could not win the title, but in 2013 they were already in the final. In three of the last four Gold Cups Panama made it to the semifinals. The team of Julio Dely Valdes must therefore definitely have on the bill, even if it did not go well in recent months. Nevertheless, in the duel between Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, we would rather make a prediction for a victory in Panama. The Soca Warriors have big problems in the last games. In addition, Trinidad & Tobago has not torn anything in the Gold Cup for many years.
Under Dennis Lawrence, one of the World Cup heroes of 2006, the situation has not improved much. The odds make it clear that T & T will go into this opening game as an outsider. This assessment is consistent with our opinion. In the match between Panama and Trinidad & Tobago we would tip on the Canaleros. But we also think that this encounter holds potential for a little surprise. Maybe the kickers from the Caribbean manage to make an exclamation point at the Gold Cup. The kick-off to the group match at the Gold Cup between Panama and Trinidad & Tobago in the Allianz Field of St. Paul takes place during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday at 0:30 (CET).
Panama:
The 2018 World Cup was the event to which a whole generation of Panamanian footballers, as well as a whole nation, was passionate about. Meanwhile, one could almost think that the Canaleros were cursed by the World Cup. Of course, many high performers who were already very advanced have ended their careers. Luis Tejeda and Blas Perez are still irreplaceable. Participating in a World Cup is in itself something nice, but Panama was last in Russia and eliminated without a win as well as with 2:11 goals in the preliminary round.
The last victory of the Canaleros is already a bit longer. In April 2018 there was the last success, incidentally against Trinidad & Tobago. Since then, Panama has been without victory for 14 games. In this period, there were just three draws. This negative series basically does not sound like it, as we would now have to do everything in the duel between Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, the odds to pick out a successful Gold Cup opening the Canaleros.
However, one must also see against whom Panama has lost everything. Partially the opponents were from the top shelf. Among others, the Canaleros faced England, Belgium or, most recently, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. These opponents would be a real challenge for any team in the world. So you can not overestimate the 0: 3 in the last friendly game against Uruguay, especially since Panama had recorded an enormous personal bloodletting.
We have addressed the two retired attackers. Also Jaime Penedo and Felipe Baloy are no longer available since the World Cup. With Gabriel Gomez and Anibal Godoy two very experienced players are missing due to injury. So there is a big question mark behind the tournament form of Canaleros. Basically what coach Julio Dely Valdes has to offer is nothing more than an absolute bag of fortune. One thing we will certainly see of Panama, namely the absolute will to win a game with not always quite fair means.
Trinidad and Tobago :
Panama has just experienced what it means to participate in a World Cup last year. Trinidad & Tobago made the big appearance in 2006 at the World Cup in Germany. The Soca Warriors have also calmed down. The sporting demands in the Caribbean are not exorbitantly high and so is Dennis Lawrence, 2006 World Cup participant, for about two and a half years coach of the national team. That his team is in great shape to the Gold Cup, we would not necessarily maintain.
For four games there was no victory. But what’s even worse is that the Soca Warriors have not scored since four matches. Under these circumstances, the Gold Cup will certainly not be enough for the quarter-finals that only the first two teams of the four groups of four will play. This also means that in the game between Panama and Trinidad and Tobago, we would not predict that both teams will score at least one goal.
The last test match against Japan is there the confirmation of our thesis, because in a very event-poor game, the two opponents separated with a goalless draw. Perhaps in the opening match between Panama and Trinidad & Tobago you should check the odds for a 0-0.
The Soca Warriors are still very optimistic in the tournament. The mood should be great, which is rarely surprising in teams from the Caribbean. In addition, the training worked very well. The only question is whether the team of Dennis Lawrence is now ready to give everything in this tournament. The Caribbean teams are sometimes said to have some phlegm in this regard.
But captain Khaleem Hyland makes it clear that the Gold Cup is expected to be the Soca Warriors, even though the squad should not be called to anything higher. After all, the team from Trinidad & Tobago does not have a single star in the squad. Most players are under-rated in the US, Saudi Arabia or at home.
