NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Here’s a trivia question for you: Which two teams have faced off against each other the most in Gold Cup history?
Hint: They’ll meet again on Saturday at Nissan Stadium.
Answer: The United States and Panama.
This will be their 10th meeting in the competition and the rivalry continues to bloom.
The sides’ last Gold Cup battle came in the 2015 match third place, an encounter that saw the Panamanians prevail on penalty kicks after a 1-1.
USA v PANAMA
Gold Cup: Head-to-Head
1991: USA 2, Panama 1
2005: USA 0, Panama 0, 3:1 pens. (Final)
2007: USA 2, Panama 1 (Quarterfinals)
2009: USA 2, Panama 1 aet (Quarterfinals)
2011: USA 1, Panama 2
2011: USA 1, Panama 0 (Semifinals)
2013: USA 1, Panama 0 (Final)
2015: Panama 1, USA 1
2015: USA 1, Panama 1, 2:3 pens (3rd Place)
Although the USA is unbeaten in eight of the nine encounters (two of which were finals), each one has been decided by one goal or fewer. Panama’s biggest claim to fame in the fixture is handing the Americans their only group-stage loss, a 2-1 setback in 2011.
They also met in a World Cup qualifier on March 28, 2017, a 1-1 draw in Panama City. Clint Dempsey gave the host a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute, only for Gabriel Gomez to level for the host four minutes later.
Here are some storylines to watch:
- The USA has scored one goal in each of its last five Gold Cup games against Panama. With newly-capped Dom Dwyer possibly roaming up front, can the goal total improve?
- If left-back Jorge Villafaña earns his first-ever Gold Cup start for the USA, how will he handle an offense that features Gabriel Gomez (2 career goals v USA) and 2013 Gold Cup joint-top scorer Gabriel Torres (5 goals)?
- Can Panama defeat in the USA in Gold Cup group-stage game for the second time?
- Will 20-year-old forward Ismael Diaz, a rising star in CONCACAF, get his chance to make a mark at the Gold Cup?
