The city of Orlando has gone soccer crazy over the course of the last several years with Orlando City in the City Beautiful. The hope for the United States Men's National Team is that Orlando is going to be the deciding factor in the biggest match of the second Bruce Arena era to date. The Yanks play their last World Cup qualifier at home on Friday night against Panama.
This World Cup Qualifying duel will go down Friday, October 5, 2017, at 7:35 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium. The match will be televised live on ESPN2.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
USA -170
Panama +450
Draw +250
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
The United States is a really heavy favorite in this match at -170 due to the fact that it really has to win this match to safely get into the World Cup. The Americans have already been beaten twice at home in qualifying, though, so nothing is a guarantee.
Let's not forget that Panama is also sitting on the 10 points, just one ahead of the USA. If the Panamanians want to get to Russia next year, this would be the match to ultimately win for sure. A victory parlayed with a Honduras loss to Costa Rica would clinch Panama's spot in the World Cup.
How They Got Here
The Americans were really saved in the last round of the Hex. They were blasted 2-0 by Costa Rica at home at Red Bull Arena before going on the road against Honduras. The Hondurans were up 1-0 for most of that match before Bobby Wood came to the rescue. His 85th minute goal will be remembered as one of the biggest in this round of qualifying.
Panama continues to play tremendous defensive soccer in the Hex. The team has allowed just five goals in eight matches to date. That said, the fact of the matter is that it only has seven goals. The Panamanians have only won two matches, both of which have come against Trinidad & Tobago. Panama only has four points in six other fixtures.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Arena is expected to call upon a relatively similar squad to the one that was disappointing against Honduras and Costa Rica. We have to imagine that Tim Howard is going to be in net, and Michael Bradley is going to wear the captain's armband at the back of this diamond.
That said, the real question is going to come up front. Is Clint Dempsey going to earn his spot back in the Starting XI after being used as a substitute for the most part in recent matches? We know that Wood's form has been good, and it's unlikely that he's going to be left out of the lineup in spite of the fact that Jozy Altidore might be a more logical selection.
This Panama team has a slew of experience, and it's possible that there could be nearly 1,000 caps on the field if this side goes with its most experienced roster. Panama is what it is. It's a team that is going to sit back, let the Americans hold most of the possession and attempt to slow the game down when it can.
The bad news for Panama is that this is exactly what the Americans really need right now. They need to be less worried about their tactics and more reliant on their raw abilities.
Alexi Lalas really gave it to this team after its draw against Honduras, stating that the club was full of "tattooed millionaires." But he's right in a sense. The Yanks need to prove that they belong on a global stage. This is what Arena was brought back to this team for. Jurgen Klinsmann couldn't do it. We think that Arena can. He'll get his win in this one to bring the Americans within one good result of the World Cup.
World Cup Qualifying Odds: USA 3, Panama 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
