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Kick-off: July 25 @ 4.00 pm EST
Venue: PPL Park (Chester, Philadelphia)
Past meetings
Panama v USA 2-3 (2014 World Cup qualifier)
USA v Panama 1-0 (2013 Gold Cup)
USA v Panama 2-0 (2014 World Cup qualifier)
Panama v USA 0-1 (International friendly)
Panama v USA 1-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
United States
Last 5 matches:
USA v Honduras 2-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
USA v Haiti 1-0 (2015 Gold Cup)
Panama v USA 1-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
USA v Cuba 6-0 (2015 Gold Cup)
USA v Jamaica 1-2 (2015 Gold Cup)
Team News:
It will not be easy for USMNT to recover from the disappointing semi-final defeat to Jamaica, and it looks as though coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have a lot of explaining to do whatever happens in the third place match.
USA will be facing Panama for the second time at the 2015 Gold Cup, and they will have to show some improvement after playing out a 1-1 draw in the final group game.
Full-back Timmy Chandler (25/1) could return to the side after missing the Jamaica defeat through a knee problem, while there are no fresh selection worries for Jurgen Klinsmann ahead of team’s final game at the tournament finals.
Players to watch: Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley.
Probable starting line-up (4-1-3-2): Guzan – Chandler, Brooks, Gonzalez, Johnson – Beckerman – Zardes, Bradley, Bedoya – Johannsson, Dempsey.
Panama
Last 5 matches:
Panama v Haiti 1-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
Honduras v Panama 1-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
Panama v USA 1-1 (2015 Gold Cup)
Trinidad v Panama 1-1p (2015 Gold Cup)
Panama v Mexico 1-2e (2015 Gold Cup)
Team News:
Despite having star player Luis Tejada (87/40) harshly sent off midway through the first half, Panama completely outclassed Mexico in the semi-final, but ended up losing the game after extra time following two more bad decisions by match officials.
Los Canaleros even pondered abandoning the tournament as a protest, but coach Hernan Dario Homez eventually confirmed his side would be playing in the third place play-off match after all.
Top scorer Luis Tejada and important midfielder Valentin Pimentel (7/0) are both banned for the USA clash, while fellow midfielder Gabriel Gomez (114/10) had been earlier ruled out through a rib injury. Key attacker Blas Perez (97/38) should return to the side after recovering from a muscle problem.
Players to watch: Blas Perez, Luis Tejada.
Probable starting line-up (4-4-2): Penedo – Machado, Cummings, R. Torres, Davis – Cooper, Godoy, Camargo, Quintero – Perez, Nurse.
United States v Panama betting odds & tips
*After each of Panama’s five games at the tournament ended 1-1 in ninety minutes, bear in mind that the price on another 1-1 draw is 8.00 (7/1).
*Having won the four meetings with Los Canaleros before the 2015 Gold Cup, USA is 1.57 (4/7) to win third place match in regular time.
*With both sides taking part in some entertaining games so far, you should know that over 2.5 goals pays 2.08 (27/25).
