MIAMI, Florida – Panama enjoyed a commanding 2-1 win against Costa Rica to kick off their 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup in Group C on Monday night at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Canaleros controlled matters for much of the affair, playing in an organized fashion and were well set up to keep Costa Rica’s dangerous attackers at bay.
Goal scorers Jose Fajardo and Edgar Barcenas drew many of the headlines, but at the heart of the Panamanian victory was MF Adalberto Carrasquilla.
Fresh off of making the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals Best XI, the 24-year-old was the lynchpin in Panama’s midfield with his distribution of passes and ease of switching the point of attack for the Canaleros.
While Panama failed to win either match at the CNL Finals, the work put in on the training field during their time in Las Vegas was evident in their performance on Monday, led by Carrasquilla.
“This win feels very good, very satisfactory for doing things as we had practiced and I think the team showed a lot of desire and that we can go for this title,” said Carrasquilla in an exclusive post-match interview with Concacaf.com.
“I think it was a new face to the one we showed in Las Vegas, but we have to keep working, we knew how to revive ourselves and go after the opponent and get the three points, which was the most important,” said Carrasquilla.
Since the arrival of Head Coach Thomas Christiansen to the Panamanian National Team in 2020, Carrasquilla has made tremendous strides in his maturation as a footballer, but the player himself says he is just one of many who is enjoying the fruits of the coach’s labor.
“I think the coach, as much for me as the entire team, has generated a lot of confidence. He knows what each player is capable of, and so we have to take advantage of this moment. Thankfully we have a good coach. Whoever he puts out to play has to make the most of it. Me personally, I feel very confident, I feel very good, but we must keep working not only for the group but for the entire country,” said Carrasquilla.
The victory against the Ticos was the third straight for Panama against Costa Rica in Concacaf competition, which included two wins in the 2022-23 CNL group stage. It was also the second straight win for Panama in Gold Cup play and extended their unbeaten run in Gold Cup openers to seven matches, with four wins and three draws.
“It’s important to win against an opponent like Costa Rica that is very tough and is very strong in Concacaf. We knew that today was going to be a final. We didn’t hold anything back. We always were going for it, and in the end we were able to take advantage of the chances that we had in front of goal and that’s what got us the win today,” concluded Carrasquilla.
