HOUSTON, Texas — Despite trailing on three separate occasions during Tuesday night’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Qatar, Panama found the will to come back and equalize to ultimately take a point from their 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup opening match.
Rolando Blackburn picked up a double against the AFC Asian Cup champions, scoring in the 51st and 58th minutes to bring Panama level with score lines of 1-1 and 2-2.
“I think we played a good game,” said Blackburn told Concacaf.com after the game. “We are calm, we are happy. We know that nothing has been won, but I think it was a very closely contested match physically, tactically, in every sense of the word, and we leave well with this draw and now to think about the game that is coming on Saturday.”
The Panamanian notched his first two goals in Gold Cup play and seventh and eighth goals with the national team. It is the first instance where he scored twice in the same match for Panama, a feat that leaves the forward with a feeling of accomplishment given the level of his opposition.
“They were the champions of Asia, a national team that has very good players,” said Blackburn. “It leaves us with a good feeling that the team is up for great things.”
Panama now shifts its focus to a familiar foe in Honduras, the current leader of Group D. It will be the fifth Gold Cup meeting between the two nations and one that has already gathered a sellout crowd in Houston.
“[We are] Grateful for the fans, for the Panamanians who are here in Houston, who came to support us,” Blackburn added after Tuesday's match. “Now we think of Honduras. We know it is another strong rival. We are going to try to do things well to win it because we have to win."
