The USA will play Panama on Monday night in each team's final group game to determine who will progress to the knock out stages of the Gold Cup 2015 tournament. The United States have already guaranteed themselves not only qualification to the next round already, but they are already confirmed as group winners after just two games. That means a lot more is at stake for Panama tonight. The game has a scheduled start time of 9.30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the Fox Sports 1 network, or online through live stream via the link below.
In Group A, the United States are the only team to have won a game so far, and after two games each the USA have a perfect record of two wins from their two games.
Panama meanwhile have only managed to draw their two games, but that has been enough to push them into second place in the group coming into these final round of games.
On paper, the winner of the Haiti and Honduras game (both have just one point after one draw and one loss each so far), should be the favorite to progress, as Panama have the most difficult final game and would normally be expected to lose.
However, it is not unthinkable that USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann will rest many of his top players for this game to prepare for the knock out rounds, and not risk any new injuries to his starting 11.
That could give Panama the chance to pull off a surprise win today, and if they can claim a shock victory they would be guaranteed to take second place in the group and progress to the next round.
If Panama draw today against the USA, then they would need the Haiti vs Honduras game to also end in a draw for them to progress. A win-lose result in the Honduras and Haiti game would see the winners of that game progress otherwise.
So there is a lot at stake here today for Panama, and they will be coming out with every intention to gain all three points so they don't have to worry about the result in the group's other game.
Panama do have one advantage; the Honduras vs Haiti game starts two-and-a-half hours prior to the USA vs Panama game, so Panama will be able to see the other game's result even before stepping out onto the pitch to take on the United States. So they will know exactly what they have to do to progress.
There is sure to be some drama throughout the two games taking place in the Gold Cup tonight, and is a good step up towards the knock out stages when each game will be a win-or-go-home situation.
Today's Gold Cup 2015 game between the USA and Panama has a scheduled start time of 9.30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the Fox Sports 1 network or online through live stream by clicking here.
