Costa Rica faces old foe Panama on Thursday night in the first leg of their two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final at the Estadio Nacional, with the return leg scheduled for next Monday in Panama. The two countries met at the same stage of the tournament last year, with Panama producing a devastating 6-1 aggregate victory over two legs, winning 3-0 away and 3-1 at home. So, Los Ticos will have an added incentive to exact some revenge.
Panama Profile
Bordered by Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the southeast, Panama is the bridge between North and South America. They are colorfully nicknamed “Los Canaleros” (The Canal Men) due to the nation’s association with the Panama Canal, a significant waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Los Tico’s longest border, measuring 348 km (217 mi), is with its southeastern neighbor, Panama, and the two countries share a strong bond; both are bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, have similar population sizes—with Costa Rica at approximately 5 million and Panama at 4.5 million—and are both renowned for their rich biodiversity and commitment to environmental conservation.
It’s been quite a decade for Los Canaleros national team, long seen as the underachievers of CONCACAF, with a lowly 97th FIFA ranking in 2010 and an average ranking of 86th overall; since then, they have achieved their highest ranking of 29th in 2014, qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 2018, reached two Gold Cup finals in 2013 and 2024, and had an impressive showing at this year’s Copa América, defeating hosts USA and Bolivia en route to the quarter-finals.
Many national heroes who played a pivotal role in the countries golden age of international football are still in the squad, including captain and talisman Aníbal Godoy, winger Yoel Bárcenas, Marseille right-back Michael Amir Murillo, left-back Eric Davis and center-back Fidel Escobar (who is teammates with Tico players Joseph Mora, Jefferson Brenes at Deportivo Saprissa), who have an incredible 490 international caps between them. They are complemented by a crop of exciting young players, such as Norwich City defender José Córdoba, center-back Edgardo Fariña, and tricky winger Kahiser Lenis.
Current head coach Thomas Christiansen has been in charge since 2020, and the Dane has produced adequate results, with 33 wins, 14 draws, and 19 defeats in his 66-game tenure. He has also provided Panama with a distinctive playing style: a ball-dominant team that incorporates positional play from a 3-4-3 formation.
Besides the decent showing at the Copa América, 2024 has been an unforgettable year for Los Canaleros, suffering 7 defeats in 11 fixtures. They are also on a three-match losing run, so this tie will be a big chance for Christiansen and his men to end the year on a high.
Costa Rica Team News
After the successful shift from 4-3-3 to a revamped 4-4-2 in last month’s 3-0 win over Guatemala, interim coach Claudio Vivas may be inclined to stick with the new-look formation and, consequently, opt for a more attacking selection of players.
After netting his first senior international goal against Guatemala, Kenneth Vargas is expected to retain his position on the right wing. And Vivas will likely opt for a similar lineup to last month’s victory. However, he will be forced into at least one change, with regular right-back Haxzel Quirós missing due to injury, so Sporting San José’s Yostin Salinas will likely deputize.
Possible Starting 11
Sequeira; Salinas, Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo (C); Vargas, Aguilera, Bran, Madrigal; Martínez, Ugalde.
Head-to-Head History
Costa Rica has historically had successful results against Panama, with La Sele’s having an astounding ten-match winning streak that spanned 13 years (1992-2005) against their southeastern neighbor. However, that now seems like a distant memory, as Los Canaleros have won five consecutive matches against Los Ticos and eight of their last ten, dating back to 2017—a perfect illustrationof Panama’s meteoric rise in international football. In fact, Los Canaleros will go into the contest as favorites due to their superior current FIFA ranking at 37th, 13 spots above Costa Rica, as well as their empathic 6-1 aggregate victory against La Sele just under a year ago.
Nonetheless, a lot can change in a year; since those dark defeats, Costa Rica has a new coach, as well as introducing an array of exciting new players such as Patrick Sequeira, Haxzel Quirós, Jeyland Mitchell, Warren Madrigal, and Josimar Alcócer.
And history is on Los Tico’s side. The two countries have faced each other 62 times, with their first meeting taking place in 1938. La Sele has emerged victorious on 31 occasions, Panama 12 times, while the remaining 12 encounters ended in draws.
Kick-off is at 20:00 CDT (20:00 UTC−6) on November 15th at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica.
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Isaac Roblett
