ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Mexico intention to return to the Concacaf Nations League closing for the primary time since 2021 on Thursday after they tackle Panama within the semifinals.
El Tri are closely favored on this matchup, which comes after the course correction that happened over the second half of final yr. Mexico rebounded from their failure to advance out of the 2022 World Cup group stage by profitable final yr’s Gold Cup, however the Nations League presents a primary alternative for brand spanking new head coach Jaime Lozano to show himself towards full-strength groups within the area.
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Panama, in the meantime, eye their first-ever Nations League closing and hope to beat current slim defeats to Mexico. Los Canaleros misplaced within the 2023 Nations League third-place match to El Tri and the Gold Cup closing, each by 1-0 scorelines.
The winner takes on both the U.S. males’s nationwide crew or Jamaica, who will compete within the first semifinal on Thursday, in Sunday’s closing, whereas the losers of each matches will face off in Sunday’s third-place match.
Here is what it is advisable to know earlier than tuning in.
Methods to watch and odds
- Date:Â Thursday, March 21Â |Â Time:Â 10:15 p.m. ET
- Location:Â AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
- Dwell stream:Â Paramount+
- Odds:Â Panama +350; Draw +240; Mexico -140
Storylines
El Tri will miss Raul Jimenez, who didn’t recuperate from a hamstring harm in time to affix Mexico for the Nations League encounters. Lozano won’t be with out attacking expertise towards Panama, although — Hirving Lozano and Santiago Gimenez are in camp and will probably be counted on to make sure the crew continues their sizzling scoring run in current months. They’ve scored 13 objectives of their final seven video games because the Gold Cup, going through all kinds of opponents together with Germany, Honduras and Uzbekistan.
Throughout that very same stretch, although, Mexico conceded 11 occasions, so guaranteeing the protection stays a stable unit needs to be a precedence. Lozano will seemingly lean on veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa to carry onto the No. 1 spot he is had for greater than a decade now, but when the crew’s defensive woes proceed, the assault’s capacity to carry out might change into essential on Thursday.
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Prediction
Mexico have their imperfections however they’re the favorites towards Panama for a motive and needs to be anticipated to get the job accomplished with Lozano round. That is to not depend out Panama, although, who demolished Costa Rica en path to the semifinals and may need a say about issues on Thursday. Decide: Panama 1, Mexico 2