US has reached the final of the past five Gold Cups, winning three.
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It was the first draw in seven openers for Panama, which outshot Haiti 7-2. Held the Gold Cup every two years, which began in 2015, the winners in the championships Gold Cup in a row (2013 and 2015 editions, for example) will face each other in a playoff to determine the representative of CONCACAF next Continents (in this case, in 2017).
Honduras would make a game of it four minutes later, giving The Stars and Stripes a scare, when Wilmer Crisanto slid a ball through a maze of defenders to pick out the run of Carlos Discua, who nipped past a block-tackle from Ventura Alvarado to work in on goal, whipping a left-footer high to the short-side on Guzan to pull one back.
United States of America almost had a third goal in the 78th minute as Escober made a hard save off a Micheal Bradley free kick.
It was the least the Panamanians deserved at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, as they had more than 73 per cent possession in the first half – and with that amount of ball came numerous chances.
A goal four minutes from time helped French Caribbean side, Haiti, snatch a share of the points against Panama in a dramatic finish to their opening Group A game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday night. Quintero capitalized on a defensive mistake to break the scoreless stalemate. Reginal Goreux missed on an attempted clearance and the Lobos BUAP midfielder put his shot inside the far post from just beyond the penalty box.
The 21-year-old Nazon struck in the 86th minute, receiving the ball down the right flank, twice turning Panama’s Harold Cummings and putting a low shot inside the far post from eight-yards out.
They will resume on July 10 in Foxborough, Massachusetts with Honduras playing Panama – that should be tasty – and the U.S. meeting Haiti.
Panama’s next contest is Friday against Honduras in Boston while Haiti squares off against the United States the same day.
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On Wednesday, Costa Rica play Jamaica and El Salvador face Canada at StubHub Center stadium in south central Los Angeles. Trinidad and Tobago take on Guatemala also in Chicago.
