USMNT vs. Panama: Concacaf Nations League semifinal live coverage
USMNT vs. Panama: Concacaf Nations League semifinal live coverage
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15-year-old soccer star Cavan Sullivan has lofty goals with USMNT
One of America's most promising young soccer stars Cavan Sullivan has sights set on the 2026 World Cup and beyond.
Sports Pulse
The U.S. men's national team faces one of its biggest tests before the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, as a do-or-die Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Panama will be one of the team's only full-strength competitive tests in the coming months.
While this summer's Gold Cup will surely be the top test for head coach Mauricio Pochettino, a conflict with the FIFA Club World Cup may deprive the USMNT of several key players whose clubs will have no obligation to release them for national team duty.
There is also something of a grudge match feel for this Nations League battle stemming back to last summer's Copa América. A nightmare 2-1 loss for the USMNT ended the Gregg Berhalter era, and a long-standing tendency for this matchup to get physical ended with Tim Weah receiving a red card after lashing out at Panama's Roderick Miller.
Under new management, the USMNT will be hoping to keep its composure and get some revenge, which will set up a trip to the Nations League final on Sunday against either Mexico or Canada (those sides play later Thursday night). A loss, however, would add to the trepidation over a supposed golden generation's ability to handle high-pressure situations.
Follow along with Pro Soccer Wire for live updates of this Concacaf Nations League semifinal between the USMNT and Panama:
Chris Richards did well to step up and help Musah out of an 8th-minute jam, but turned his back to some serious Panamanian pressure.
Cristian Martínez pounced, stripping the Crystal Palace center back and bursting into the box. The USMNT was not ready collectively, but Tyler Adams — as he tends to do — got on his horse to shut the danger down with a timely block.
Pochettino's solution to Robinson's surprise absence is fielding Musah at right back. That means Scally has switched to the left side, while McKennie (who was an option to slot in for Robinson on the back line) is pushing aggressively forward from central midfield.
Panama, meanwhile, has rolled out a 5-4-1 formation, but is maintaining a mid-block rather than parking the bus.
We're underway at SoFi Stadium as the USMNT and Panama battle for a spot in the Concacaf Nations League final.
This figures to be an abrasive game on the field, but with this massive NFL stadium maybe 20% full right now, we might not be looking at a cauldron in terms of atmosphere.
The U.S. enters this match with significant absences in the squad. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Malik Tillman are out with injuries, while Sergiño Dest has only just returned for PSV after a torn ACL suffered in 2024.
Compounding the issue, the USMNT announced on Tuesday that Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso and Auston Trusty all withdrew from the roster with health issues.
The USMNT has a 18W-7D-3L record all-time against Panama, but has won just six of the last 13 meetings. That includes a penalty shootout loss in the 2023 Gold Cup semifinal and a group-stage defeat at the 2024 Copa América.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino appears to have approached the absence of Antonee Robinson by following the example of Juventus and deploying midfielder Weston McKennie at left back. That said, Pochettino could just as easily deploy Yunus Musah at right back, with Joe Scally moving over from his more preferred right back spot.
That has opened the door for Lyon's Tanner Tessmann to join Tyler Adams and Musah or McKennie in the midfield, while Josh Sargent — effectively the last man standing in an injury-hit pool of strikers — will lead the line. Captain Tim Ream will make some history as the oldest player to start a competitive match for the USMNT in nearly 31 years.
For Panama, head coach Thomas Christiansen will field an 11 build around some veteran know-how and Pumas UNAM midfielder Adalberto "Coco" Carrasquilla.
Date: Thursday, March 20
Thursday, March 20 Time: 7 p.m. ET
7 p.m. ET Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) TV: Univision, TUDN (both Spanish only)
Univision, TUDN (both Spanish only) Streaming: Paramount+
Watch USMNT vs. Panama on Paramount+
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