USA vs. Panama: 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup – How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineup and More

Welcome to your open thread for Gold Cup already-clinched-our-group freedom, as we get set to watch the United States Men’s National Team take on Panama in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A finale. Tonight’s match takes place in Sporting Park in Kansas City, where the USMNT has an all-time record of 3-0-0. Game time is 9:30 p.m. (ET).

The USMNT has won Group A with unconvincing wins over Honduras (2-1) and Haiti (1-0) and now gets to play a country with a name that doesn’t start with an H. Clint Dempsey has scored all three goals for the Yanks, which could play tonight’s game one of two ways — they could rest key players for the knockout round to come, or they could play their top lineup and try to build some chemistry entering the toughest part of the tournament.

In fairness, Aron Johannsson also scored for the Americans but the goal was erroneously waved off for offside. (Orlando City fans are probably nodding sympathetically right now.)

Panama will be desperate for points after drawing 1-1 with both Haiti and Honduras. Sitting on two points, the Panamanians are one point ahead of both H teams, which play each other tonight in the early game (7 p.m. ET). Midfielder Alberto Quintero and forward Luis Tejada have scored for Panama in this tournament. Panama’s side features FC Dallas star Blas Perez and LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.

Klinsmann's troops must step it up if they want to make a deep run in this tournament. The U.S. has been turning the ball over repeatedly in the midfield and getting caught on the counter attack. Haiti (Haiti!) out-shot the U.S. 15-5.

The History

The USMNT is 11-1-2 in the all-time series against Panama, with the lone loss coming in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. U.S. defender Clarence Goodson scored a goal for both teams that night in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, and Gabriel Enrique Gomez scored from the penalty spot in the game that ended up deciding Group C. The U.S. avenged that loss in the semifinals with a 1-0 win on a Dempsey goal in the 76^th minute in Houston. However, the Yanks lost the final to Mexico, 4-2, blowing a 2-0 lead in the Rose Bowl on June 25, 2011.

It’s almost 22 years to the day since the first meeting between the two nations, which occurred on July 14, 1993 in Gold Cup play at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Americans erased a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 on goals by Eric Wynalda and Tom Dooley.

Tonight will mark the eighth time the USMNT has met Panama in the Gold Cup in 15 total matches between the two sides. The United States is 5-1-1 over the first seven of those meetings. Brek Shea scored the game winner in the last Gold Cup meeting, a 1-0 result in the Gold Cup final just two years ago in Chicago.

The last meeting overall came in a 2013 qualifier for last year’s FIFA World Cup, in which the U.S. destroyed Panama’s dreams. Trailing 1-0, Michael Orozco-Fiscal tied the match at 1-1. Just as it appeared the game would end in a draw, Tejada scored in the 84^th minute and it looked like Panama would edge out Mexico for the World Cup playoff as CONCACAF’s fourth-place team. But Aron Johannsson and Graham Zusi scored in stoppage time in Panama City’s Estadio Rommel Fernandez to send the home crowd home in tears.

You just know the Panamanians haven't forgotten.

* * *

Can the Americans finally find their rhythm? Is Alejandro Bedoya healthy enough to play? Will there be a game when Brad Guzan isn't asked to be superhuman for the U.S. to win?

Let's hope the answer is ‘yes' to all three of those questions.

Go America!

And don't forget to vote in our poll below.

Official Lineups:

U.S. Men's National Team (4-4-2):

We have no idea what Jurgen's going to do tonight, so we'll just project the same lineup as last game and it will obviously be completely different. Check back just before kickoff for the official lineup.

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan

Defenders: Fabian Johnson, John Brooks, Ventura Alvarado, Timmy Chandler

Midfielders: Alfredo Morales, Michael Bradley, Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya

Forwards: Gyasi Zardes, Chris Wondolowski

Bench: Nick Rimando, William Yarbrough, Greg Garza, Tim Ream, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Evans, Mix Diskerud, Graham Zusi, DeAndre Yedlin, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Clint Dempsey

Panama (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Jaime Penedo

Defenders: Eric Davis, Harold Cummings, Roman Torres, Armando Cooper

Midfielders: Alberto Quintero, Gabriel Gomez, Anibal Godoy, Valentin Pimental

Forwards: Luis Tejada, Blas Perez

Bench: Calderon, Patrick, Stephens, Pinzon, Camargo, Torres, Nurse, Blackburn, Arroyo

How to Watch:

Match time: 9:30 p.m. (ET)

Venue: Sporting Park – Kansas City, KS

TV: FOX Sports 1, UniMas, Univision Deportes

Live Stream: FOX Soccer 2GO, UnivisionDeportes.com

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along with @StarsAndStripesFC or via @ussoccer.

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