The USMNT face off against Panama June 27 at 6:00 p.m. at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Madison Crews here to talk about everything that happened at Wednesday’s training session and press conference ahead of the match…
Going up against Panama
Matt Turner touched on how it’s expected to be a very physical game on Thursday when he talked to the media back on June 25. Head coach Greg Berhalter and Yunus Musah spoke to the media on MD-1, and I asked how the team can keep everything level headed when facing an opponent that plays man-to-man pressure.
“I feel like it's really important that we all try to win our individual battles no matter what, and whenever we take care of that, the rest of the quality shows,” said Musah.
“We don't shy away from physicality. We like that in matches, and that's never a problem for us. For us, it's just about embracing whatever the particular match brings, and if it's physicality then we’ll be fine. We’ll be able to deal with that,” said Berhalter.
Berhalter then went on to talk about how excited the team is to play in Atlanta which is the future home of US Soccer.
“I think we are really looking forward to the crowd tomorrow in Atlanta,” said Berhalter. “This is an amazing stadium to play in. It’s the future home of US Soccer, and really just putting on a good game in front of the fans. A good competitive game for all the fans to see.”
Previewing USMNT vs Panama
The USMNT have won 11 of the 18 matches they have played against Panama, but in the last matchup between these two Panama had the last laugh. I feel this match will be a redemption for the USMNT, especially after Panama knocked them out of the Gold Cup semi-finals. Panama beat the USMNT in PKs, 5-4, after neither team could find a winner in 90 minutes back on July 12, 2023.
There will be a lot of emotions from the match-up itself, but also because of where this match is being played. This will be the first time the USMNT will be playing in Atlanta since it was announced that Atlanta will be the home of US Soccer. The Benz is going electric, so will Atlanta be tomorrow. My advice, make sure to stay cool, check traffic updates and show everyone why Atlanta is the epicenter of soccer in the USA.
The USMNT faces off against Panama today at 6:00 p.m. at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
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