The goal of the Panamanian soccer team, which will play Croatia, England and Ghana next month at the World Cup, is to get through that group, and then try to do something more, said its coach Thomas Christiansen.
Pass the group, and then try something more. Why not dream to be like Morocco from the last championship?said the 53-year-old coach in an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS.
Let us remind you that at the 2022 World Cup, Morocco lost to Croatia in the match for third place. Christiansen, a 53-year-old Spanish-Danish coach, sat on the Panama bench six years ago.
We were 87th in the FIFA rankings when I arrived and now we’re 33rd. At one point we reached 29th place. Sometimes it’s easy to come, but hard to stay. And we have been here for a long time, never leaving the first place 40. This means we are doing wellhe said.
Panama, a Central American country with four million inhabitants, has only participated in the World Cup in 2018. Then they lost to England, Belgium and Tunisia in the group, and Christiansen will now try to achieve a better result.
Obviously we are very excited due to participation in the World Cuphe noted.
But what a group we got. It turned out that we have to play with the strongestwith two European teams. Croatia was supposed to be in the first drum, but Canada, Mexico and the USA, as hosts, put it in the second drum. So now there are Croatia and England, two teams from the strongest group. There is also Ghana, which we know what quality it has and which we have analyzed a lot. Many of their players play in EuropeChristiansen stated.
He believes that the first game with Ghana is the most important for Panama.
All are important, but yes, that is the most important. If we win, the possibility of going through increases. That is our goal. That’s why that game means so much to us. No one can surpass us in desirehe said.
Croatia will play Panama on June 23 in Toronto, after six days earlier they met Ghana.
Christiansen said the overall goal is to do better than in 2018, when Panama failed to score a single point in the group.
There is talk of improving the results from the previous championship, where Panama failed to win a point. So to do that is the option we have, our desire. But I want to go further. Let’s go get it. With respect, but aware that we can play a good World Cuphe concluded.
(Hina | Photo: X)
