PANAMA – Under a persistent rain and a sky that foreshadowed a storm, the United States team made this Saturday the field recognition of the Rommel Fernández stadium, where it will be measured on Sunday with the Panama team in a match on the fifth date of the qualifying rounds. of the Qatar World Cup.
The Americans walked the pitch rolling the ball, as if they were putting the new grass of the stadium to the test, much criticized by the Panamanian players and their coach, Thomas Christiansen, at the beginning of the qualifying rounds.
Coach Gregg Berhalter and his assistants took advantage of the reconnaissance in the rain to test the consistency of the terrain.
In what could be seen in the 15 minutes that the session was open to the press, the bulk of the players jogged on the field.
Then, the squad completed a series of physical exercises while the goalkeepers worked separately on one of the goals.
Before the recognition of the field, the coach said at a press conference that he expects a very physical game this Sunday due to the characteristics of the intense game and the deployment of his rival.
Although he did not cite names, he announced that he will introduce changes in his starting eleven to dose forces because the playoff schedule in October established matches on the 7th, 10th and 14th, with little margin for recovery for the players.
The United States leads the octagonal final of the Concacaf after four rounds, with 8 points, the same as Mexico has, although its rival relegated to second place due to its lower scoring balance.
They are followed by Canada, with six units; Panama and El Salvador, with the same five; with three, Costa Rica and Honduras, and in last place Jamaica with one point.
.