An own goal by midfielder Anibal Godoy at minute 77 put Costa Rica in the semifinals of the 2017 Gold Cup and meant a 1-0 victory over Panama in the first match of the quarterfinals. This was the first match between both teams in Concacaf's main tournament and both teams played carefully, avoiding mistakes and focusing on defense. Costa Rica moves on to the semifinals for the first time in their last four participations in the Gold Cup and will face the winner of the match between the United States and El Salvador. Panama is out of the competition after reaching the semifinals in the last three editions. With this victory, Costa Rica extends their record to 25 wins against Panama in the 46 matches these teams have played throughout history.
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Costa Rica vs Panama | Lineups
Costa Rica: Patrick Pemberton; Christian Gamboa, Giancarlo González, Johnny Acosta, Kenner Gutiérrez, Francisco Calvo; David Guzmán, Joel Campbell, Bryan Ruiz, Rodney Wallace, and Marco Ureña.
Panama: To be confirmed.
Costa Rica vs Panama | Preview
The Costa Rican and Panamanian national teams will face each other for the first time in the history of the Gold Cup. However, in previous matches between both teams, Costa Rica has a dominant record, winning 24 times, tying 13, and losing only 7 games. In terms of goals, Costa Rica has scored 104 against Panama's 37. In World Cup qualifiers, Panama has only won twice in the 15 matches against Costa Rica. The most recent match between both teams took place last June and ended with a 0-0 draw. In this edition of the Gold Cup, both teams have had a similar performance, with no defeats. Costa Rica won against Honduras (1-0), tied with Canada (1-1), and defeated French Guiana (3-0) in the group stage. Panama tied with the United States (1-1), won against Nicaragua (2-1), and defeated Martinique (3-0). Costa Rica finished as first in Group A with 7 points and Panama finished second in Group B with 6 points. This is the seventh consecutive time that both teams reach the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup. Costa Rica has reached the semifinals once, in 2009, while Panama has reached this stage four times.