Panama and Costa Rica drew 0-0 on Thursday at the start of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
The game was dominated by Panama, especially in the second half, with possession football, combinations in speed and high pressure against the Costa Rican defense.
The Panamanians bombed the Costa Rican area, but the central defenders Francisco Calvo and Óscar Duarte, sometimes supported by the incombustible Celso Borges and goalkeeper Keylor Navas, were able to mitigate the danger and secure the valuable road result.
The clash was witnessed by some 14,000 spectators, who had to have two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, of the approximately 20,000 that the Panamanian authorities had allowed.
With this result, Panamanians and Costa Ricans each get their first point in the CONCACAF octagonal, which grants three direct tickets and the possibility of a playoff for the fourth-place team in their bid to the Qatar World Cup.
In the second matchday of this qualifying round, Panama will travel to Jamaica, while Costa Rica will host Mexico on Sunday.
CONCACAF qualifier standings
Standings in the final round of 2022 World Cup qualifying for the North and Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region after Thursday’s matches (p w d l pf pa pts):
Mexico 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
Honduras 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Canada 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Salvador 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
United States 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Panama 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Costa Rica 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Jamaica 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
