Action from the international friendly between Panama and Mexico (green jersey) on October 11, 2016, in Bridgeview, Illinois. (Photo: John Bacon/Straffon Images)
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP
CONCACAF Qualifying -- Final Round, Matchday 2
Date: November 15, 2016
Match: USA v Mexico
Venue: Estadio Rommel Fernandez – Panama City, Panama
Time: 9:05 p.m. (local)
MATCH OFFICIALS
R: Ricardo Montero (Costa Rica)
AR1: Octavio Jara (Costa Rica)
AR2: Juan Carlos Mora (Costa Rica)
4th: Henry Bejarano (Costa Rica)
SUSPENSIONS
Panama: Felipe Baloy, Armando Cooper
Mexico: Carlos Salcedo
ALL-TIME WCQ SERIES
Mexico leads: 4W-2D-0L (16GF, 3GA)
LAST WCQ MEETING
October 11, 2013: Mexico 2, Panama 1
Oribe Peralta 39’; Raul Jimenez 85’ / Luis Tejada 81’
FIVE MATCH WCQ FORM
Panama: WLWWD
Mexico: WDWWW
CONCACAF QUALIFYING RESULTS
Panama (Overall record: 4W-1D-2L … 8GF, 5 GA)
13.11.15 Jamaica v Panama 0-2
17.11.15 Panama v Costa Rica 1-2
25.03.16 Haiti v Panama 0-0
29.03.16 Panama v Haiti 1-0
02.09.16 Panama v Jamaica 2-0
06.09.16 Costa Rica v Panama 3-1
11.11.16 Honduras v Panama 0-1
Mexico (Overall record: 6W-1D-0L … 15GF, 2GA)
13.11.15 Mexico v El Salvador 3-0
17.11.15 Honduras v Mexico 0-2
25.03.16 Canada v Mexico 0-3
29.03.16 Mexico v Canada 2-0
02.09.16 El Salvador v Mexico 1-3
06.09.16 Mexico v Honduras 0-0
11.11.16 USA v Mexico 1-2
CONCACAF QUALIFYING SCORERS
Panama: Luis Tejada (2); Abdiel Arroyo, Felipe Baloy, Armando Cooper, Fidel Escobar, Gabriel Torres, own-goal in favor of (1)
Mexico: Jesus Corona (3); Andres Guardado (2); Jurgen Damm, Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Raul Jimenez, Miguel Layun, Hirving Lozano, Rafael Marquez, Hector Moreno, Angel Sepulveda, Carlos Vela (1)
FINAL ROUND SUMMARY
Panama: Panama kicked off play in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 win over host Honduras on November 11, 2016. Fidel Escobar scored the only goal in the 22nd minute, when his right-footed free kick from 22-yards out took a slight deflection off Honduras’ Romell Quioto before hitting the back of the net. Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo produced two outstanding stops, denying both Diego Reyes and Alberth Elis in the 57th minute.
Mexico: Mexico won an away World Cup qualifier against the United States for the first time in 34 years, earning a 2-1 victory on November 11, 2016. The result ended a string of four straight 2-0 triumphs by the Americans over their southern neighbor at the same venue in CONCACAF qualifying. Rafael Marquez broke a 1-1 tie in the 89th minute with a flicked header off Miguel Layun’s left-sided corner kick. Layun gave the visitor a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute, before Bobby Wood leveled four minutes into the second half.
FAST FACTS
Panama
- Never qualified for a FIFA World Cup.
- Posted shutouts in four last five WCQs.
- Win at Honduras was second in 21 previous Hexagonal outings.
Mexico
- Played in every World Cup from USA 1994 through Brazil 2014 … reached Round of 16 in each edition.
- Holds record for most Hexagonal goals scored (88)
- Scored two goals of more in six of seven 2018 WCQs.
- Shares record with Costa Rica for most goals scored in a single Hexagonal (both scored 23 in 1998)
ONE LAST ITEM
Mexico and Panama met in an international friendly on October 11, 2016, in Bridgeview, Illinois, with the Mexicans posting a 1-0 win as Oribe Peralta struck in the 59th minute off an assist by Giovani dos Santos.
