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Panama World Cup 2018 squad list and team guide

Panama's star player Roman Torres - AFP
Panama's star player Roman Torres - AFP

Here we take a look at Panama's World Cup squad and the other things it will be handy to know.

Panama's World Cup squad - the 23 names

23-man final squad:

Goalkeepers: Jaime Penedo (Dinamo Bucharest), Jose Calderon (Chorrillo FC), Alex Rodriguez (San Francisco FC).

Defenders: Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls), Harold Cummings (San Jose Earthquakes), Fidel Escobar (New York Red Bulls), Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders FC), Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo), Eric Davis (DAC Dunajska Streda), Luis Ovalle (CD Olimpia), Felipe Baloy (CSD Municipal).

Midfielders: Gabriel Gomez (Atletico Bucaramanga), Edgar Barcenas (Cafetaleros de Tapachula), Armando Cooper (Club Universidad de Chile), Valentin Pimentel (Plaza Amador), Alberto Quintero (Universitario Lima), Anibal Godoy (San Jose Earthquakes), Jose Luis Rodriguez (KAA Gent).

Forwards: Blas Perez (CSD Municipal), Gabriel Torres (CD Huachipato), Ismael Diaz (Deportivo La Coruña), Abdiel Arroyo (LD Alajuelense), Luis Tejada (Sport Boys).

Panama fans pose with the players during a training session - Credit: afp
Panama fans pose with the players during a training session Credit: afp

Panama's World Cup 2018 fixtures

What odds are Panama to win the World Cup?

1,000/1

The kits

See where Panama's shirts ends up in our ranking of all 64 World Cup shirts below:

World Cup kits ranked

Who's the coach?

Hernan Gomez has been in charge since 2014. He had to resign his position as Colombia coach in 2011 after assaulting a woman outside a bar in Bogota.

Who's the star?

Not many to speak of. Striker Gabriel Torres, who made his international debut aged 16, has pace and attracted the interest of Manchester United... 11 years ago.

Best thing about them

They're just happy to be here. This is their first ever World Cup so expect the fans to make the most of the experience.

Full 2018 World Cup squad lists and guides | Star to watch, odds, fans' chants and more

Worst thing about them

They're not very good. Panama will have the oldest squad at the World Cup and will be physical and ultra-defensive: their 5-4-1 formation will occasionally look like a 9-0-1.

You may recognise...

Good luck with that. Unless you're an avid follower of MLS, the home of a decent chunk of the squad, these will be very unfamiliar faces.

Cameramen will be picking out...

Red-shirted fans blubbing their way through the national anthem when it is played for the first time at a World Cup.

Fans' favourite chant

TBC

On-field prediction

Initially charming story will be swiftly forgotten when Eden Hazard is booted into the stands after 47secs of their opening game against Belgium.

Off-field prediction

Commentators trying, and failing, to shoehorn a canal metaphor into their analysis.

World Cup 2018 | All you need to know

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