Panama’s Luis Ovalle falls on the pitch as United States’ Christian Pulisic drives the ball during a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Panama City, Tuesday, March 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)PANAMA CITY – The final stage of World Cup qualifying is not supposed to be a carefree journey. It came in the 39th minute and put the United States ahead. Panama, seeking its first World Cup berth, had lost at last-place Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, raising the stakes for the American visit. Los Canaleros (The Canal Men) had never beaten the United States in six prior qualifiers, the last five in defeat.

Source: Washington Post March 29, 2017 04:12 UTC