USMNT rivals: Mexico impresses again, Panama suffers first lost

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Nov 15, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Concacaf hard.

The start of World Cup 2022 qualifying has twice been pushed back, forcing Concacaf to scramble to find dates in 2021 and 2022 to complete its ambitious new format after official competition in this fall's three international windows were cancelled.

The USA sat out the September and October windows but has returned to action with friendlies against Wales and Panama in November.

Out of the confederation's 35 FIFA members entered in World Cup qualifying, just seven Concacaf teams are playing international competition in November. An eighth team, Nicaragua, played twice in October.

Mexico came from behind to beat South Korea, 3-2, on Saturday for its 18th win in 21 games under Tata Martino.

Panama, which faces the USA on Monday, has also been in Austria, where it dropped a 1-0 decision to Japan on Friday after a pair of 1-0 wins at Costa Rica in October.

The COVID-19 crisis hangs over teams.

Jamaica was forced to rearrange its travel plans to get to Saudi Arabia and has been awaiting testing results before having late-arriving players are released from quarantine.

An outbreak left the Reggae Boyz short-handed for Saturday's opening game against Saudi Arabia at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyad, where they lost, 3-0.

Mexico (1)

Friendlies:
Sept. 30 Mexico 3 Guatemala.
Oct. 7 Netherlands 0 Mexico 1.
Oct. 13 Mexico 2 Algeria 2
Nov. 14 Mexico 3 South Korea 2.
Nov. 17 Mexico vs. Japan

Coach:
Martino was named Mexico's head coach in 2019 after leading Atlanta United to the 2018 MLS Cup title.

U.S. Connection:
Jonathan dos Santos (LA Galaxy) and Rodolfo Pizarro (Inter Miami) were called up for Mexico's trip to Austria for games against South Korea and Japan.

2021:
Mexico will face Costa Rica in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in June and El Salvador and Curacao and a team to be determined in group play at the Gold Cup in July. El Tri qualified for the Octagonal as one of Concacaf's top five teams.

Costa Rica (3)

Friendlies:
Oct. 10 Costa Rica 0 Panama 1.
Oct. 13 Costa Rica 0 Panama 1.
Nov. 13 Costa Rica 1 Qatar 1.
Nov. 16 Basque XI vs. Costa Rica

Coach:
La Sele hired Ronald Gonzalez, the youngest player on its 1990 World Cup team, as its head coach in October 2019. He had been interim coach in 2010 and 2011.

U.S. Connection:
Six Ticos who played in MLS in 2020 were picked for games in Austria and Spain: Giancarlo Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Francisco Calvo (Chicago), Kendall Waston (FC Cincinnati), Luis Diaz (Columbus), Randall Leal (Nashville SC) and Ariel Lassiter (Houston Dynamo)

2021:
Costa Rica will face Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in June and Jamaica and Suriname and a team to be determined in group play at the Gold Cup in July. Los Ticos qualified for the Octagonal as one of Concacaf's top five teams.

Jamaica (4)

Friendlies:
Nov. 14 Saudi Arabia 3 Jamaica 0.
Nov. 17 Saudi Arabia vs. Jamaica

Coach:
Theodore Whitmore is in his fifth year as Jamaica's head coach, his fourth stint with the Reggae Boyz, which also included interim jobs in 2007 and 2008 and a four-year tenure as head coach (2009-13).

U.S. Connection:
The Reggae Boyz called up three players from the USL Championship's Phoenix Rising -- Amal Knight, Damion Lowe and Junior Flemmings -- as well as Oniel Fisher (D.C. United) and Amal Knight (San Diego Loyal) for the trip to Saudi Arabia.

2021:
Jamaica will face Costa Rica and Suriname and a team to be determined in group play at the Gold Cup in July. It has qualified for the Octagonal as one of Concacaf's top five teams.

Honduras (5)

Friendlies:
Oct. 10 Honduras 1 Nicaragua 1.
Nov. 15 Guatemala vs. Honduras.

Coach:
Uruguayan Fabian Coito, who spent a decade as a coach in the Celeste's youth team program, has been the Honduran head coach since February 2019.

U.S. Connection:
With almost 300 caps between them, the Houston Dynamo's Maynor Figueroa and Boniek Garcia are the Catrachos' most experienced players. The only other MLS player called up for the friendly against Guatemala was Real Salt Lake's Douglas Martinez.

2021:
Honduras will face the USA in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in June and Panama, Grenada and Qatar in group play at the Gold Cup in July. It has qualified for the Octagonal as one of Concacaf's top five teams.

Panama (9)

Friendlies:
Oct. 10 Costa Rica 0 Panama 1.
Oct. 13 Costa Rica 0 Panama 1
Nov. 13 Japan 1 Panama  0
Nov. 16 Panama vs. USA

Coach:
Former Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen was named Panama's head coach in July. The Canaleros are the first national team he has coached.

U.S. Connection:
Anibal Godoy (Nashville SC, photo) and Juan Tejada (Tampa Bay Rowdies) are the only U.S.-based players in the current Panama team. But the Canaleros also feature nine former MLS players.

2021:
Panama will face Honduras, Grenada and Qatar in group play at the Gold Cup in July. It opens World Cup 2022 qualifying in Concacaf's first round as the No. 1 seed in its group with Dominican Republic, Barbados, Dominica and Anguilla.

Guatemala (13)

Friendlies:
Sept. 30 Mexico 3 Guatemala 0.
Oct. 6 Nicaragua 0 Guatemala 0.
Nov. 15 Guatemala vs. Honduras

Coach:
Amarini Villatoro is one the youngest national team head coaches in the world. He was only 34 when he was appointed Guatemala's head coach in March 2019 after a decade as a club coach in Guatemala.

U.S. Connection:
Nicholas Rittmeyer (Charleston Battery) and Darwin Lom (Chattanooga FC) are among four foreign-based players in Guatemala City for Sunday's friendly against Honduras.

2021:
Guatemala faces Guyana in the first round of the reformatted Gold Cup qualifying playoffs in July. It opens World Cup 2022 qualifying in Concacaf's first round as the No. 2 seed in its group with Curacao, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Cuba and the British Virgin Islands.

Nicaragua (16)

Friendlies:
Oct. 6 Nicaragua 0 Guatemala 0.
Oct. 10 Honduras 1 Nicaragua  1

Coach:
Argentine Juan Vita was hired as Nicaragua's head coach in August.

U.S. Connection:
No U.S.-based players were among the four legionarios called up for a November training camp.

2021:
Nicaragua opens World Cup 2022 qualifying in Concacaf's first round as the No. 2 seed in its group with Haiti, Belize, St. Lucia and Turks and Caicos Islands.