The minnows of Group C in the 2024 Copa America face off on the final matchday in the hopes of having something to play for. Bolivia is in action against Panama as both teams look for a way to sneak into the knockout stage from a very tough group.
Panama has won all of their four meetings in all competitions with Bolivia, including a 2-1 victory in the 2016 Copa America group stage opener. Their most recent friendly encounter in August 2023 also ended with the same scoreline as both sides geared up for the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Bolivia are currently 86th in the World Rankings but they have previously won the Copa America at home in 1963 and finished as runners-up in 1997. A run to the quarter-finals in 2015 ended a winless streak in the competition since 1997. La Verde have lost all their games at the last three tournaments and Antonio Carlos Zago, who was appointed as head coach in late 2023, has a big job on his hands.
Their bad performances in recent tournaments must be washed out of the system quickly, and a Matchday 3 victory over Panama would be brilliant. There was a single win from the first five friendly matches of 2023 and their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign didn’t get off to a better start with heavy defeats to both Brazil and Argentina in September.
Two more defeats followed and Gustavo Costas was sacked while his successor was able to inspire a reaction with a 2-nil home victory over Peru, their first win after five games of the series.
Bolivia were close to starting 2024 with a draw against 2019 African champions Algeria but Aissa Mandi scored a late winner. However, they made amends with a lone-goal victory over Andorra thanks to Ramiro Vaca’s goal in the first half.
At the Copa America, games against the USA and Uruguay represent a rough entry into the tournament and it is pertinent that they get something out of this last game against Panama. Their opponents are in just their second Copa America after attending the Centenario edition in 2016 and winning their first game against Bolivia. It is safe to say they are keen to equal that achievement.
Los Canaleros came fourth at the CONCACAF Nations League finals in 2023 while they made a strong start to the Gold Cup later in June. After defeating Qatar 4-0 in the last eight, Panama got the better of the United States on penalties to book a place in the final against Mexico which they lost by a single goal.
Another run to a second consecutive Nations League finals was ended by a defeat to Mexico (again), but what it does is increase their belief that they can mix it with the bigger teams in tournament football.
Panama must compete with a strategic tactical plan as they will be fighting for survival against the powerhouses in their group. Thomas Christiansen must also hope that one of the big teams falters in their campaign which could directly benefit his team’s chances of advancing to the next round.
Hence, a win over Bolivia would give them a wonderful lifeline to make the knockout round, should other results go their way.
Match tickets
This Copa America showdown is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 2 July 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 2 AM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on the websites of both national federations as well as the Copa America organizers so you can hurry to purchase yours.
The Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida will host this match and you can be sure that there will be a huge tussle for each of those 25,000 seats in the arena. Because this result could be crucial for both teams’ progress in this tournament, their fans would be desperate to get into the stadium and show their support.
Official ticket channels are set to be overwhelmed pretty early but our free advice is that you look for your Bolivia vs Panama tickets on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Looking at their squad list for the March international break, Bolivia had a clean bill of health and their head coach would be desperate to keep his best players fit and available.
Panama also have a complete squad with no injury worries at the time of writing but their bruising schedule means they would have to make changes to their lineup as the tournament goes on.
Line-ups
It is important that Bolivia prioritize protecting Guillermo Viscarra’s goal and the back five in front of him must work as a resilient unit. La Verde can form a solid core and depend on chances from counterattacking situations.
Against Panama, however, they would be urged to take a bit more initiative and look to get on the ball in the hope of creating chances to win the game.
Bolivia: Viscarra; Medina, Quinteros, Haquin, Suarez, Fernandez; Bejarano, Villamil, Ursino, Vaca; Algarañaz
Jose Luiz Rodriguez is a key man for Panama with his ability to pass with both feet and the technical quality he offers the team including his dribbling skills across the forward areas. His exceptional vision over long or short-range passes further amplifies his importance to the cause and the team would certainly be playing through him.
Panama’s 3-4-3 formation could be crucial for them, as well as the fact that members of their squad have played together for a long time.
Panama: Mosquera; Escobar, Cordoba, Andrade; Blackman, Godoy, Carrasquilla, Barcenas; Fajardo, Diaz, Rodriguez
Prediction
An interesting match lies ahead and given the immense pressure that their other group opponents would have put on them, both sides would be looking to end the group stage on a high.
It could descend into an open game and each team must prove their worth. Indeed, Panama’s head-to-head record points a direction to the outcome of this latest clash.
Bolivia 1-2 Panama
