The hosts- the USMNT are a game away from reaching the Copa America’s knockout stage, as they face Panama on Thursday at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Gregg Berhalter’s men come fresh off a decent 2-0 win in the opener against Bolivia. On the other hand, Panama took a 3-1 beating from Group C heavyweights- Uruguay in their opening game.

It is a do-or-die game for Panama, as a defeat and Uruguay’s simultaneous and anticipated win against Bolivia would see the former out of the tournament. Besides, the US team will be looking to settle a score against Panama, after they knocked out Berhalter and Co. in last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Anyhow, the US team will have to give a tough fight to stand their ground against Panama. Staying 42nd in FIFA rankings, Panama is better equipped than the 82nd-ranked Bolivia to challenge the US. Besides, Thomas Christiansen’s side has shown grit and panache in this month’s World Cup qualifiers with two consecutive wins. So, it won’t be beyond Panama to bring back that momentum and challenge the US. However, if the USMNT’s elite midfield and defense line were to play at the best level, the Copa knockouts might look bleak for Panama.

Panama vs USMNT: Injuries and expected lineups

Panama injuries

Panama is also free of any new injuries before they take on the hosts on Thursday. But they seem to heavily miss their captain Anibal Godoy, who left the Copa stage before the start because of a thigh injury.

Panama expected starting XI

[5-4-1]: Orlando Mosquera; Michael Amir Murillo, Edgardo Farina, Jose Cordoba, Roderick Miller, Eric Davis; Jose Rodriguez, Jovani Welch, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Edgar Barcenas; Jose Fajardo

USMNT injuries

The USMNT does not have any injuries before facing Panama. However, former skipper and superstar midfielder Tyler Adams might be left out of the mix in Thursday’s game. Adams was visibly fatigued during USMNT’s opener against Bolivia. Subsequently, soccer analysts also hinted at the injury-prone Bournemouth star facing an injury scare. Anyhow, there has been no official communication on Adams till now.

USMNT expected starting XI

[4-3-3]: Matt Turner; Joe Scally, Timothy Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson; Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie; Timothy Weah, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic

Panama vs USMNT head-to-head

The US and Panama have squared off 18 times. The USMNT had the better of their rivals on 11 occasions. Panama beat the US two times and five games between the two sides ended in a draw.

Panama vs USMNT: Predictions

Panama will indeed give the US a tougher fight than Bolivia. However, the Panama defense let all hell break loose in the final five minutes against Uruguay, conceding two goals. If their defense repeats the same mistake against the hosts, the likes of Christian Pulisic would punish them severely. Furthermore, considering the US has a winning momentum from the Bolivia tie and a home advantage to aid them, we predict the USMNT to win 2-0.

Where to watch Thursday’s clash?

The match will kick off on June 26, Thursday, at 6 PM ET in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Fans can watch the live TV broadcast on FOX with English commentary. Univision and TUDN broadcast the game with Spanish commentary. Additionally, fans can also live stream the game on Fox Sports platforms.

After facing Panama, the US will round off their group campaign by taking on Uruguay on July 01. Both Uruguay and the USMNT are potent candidates to top the group before the knockouts. Sound off your predictions for the US-Panama tie in the comments.