Panama meets Cuba on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The match begins at 3:30 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream HERE.
Cuba finished third in Group C behind the United States and Costa Rica, Pete Mulroy of LatinTimes.com reports. The Cuban squad advanced from the opening round by way of a goal aggregate, owed partly to Ariel Martinez's three goals against Belize in the opening round match.
Although Martinez's hat trick helped Cuba advance via a goal aggregate, the team still had to scratch and claw its way out of the group stage. Cuba opened the tournament with a 3-0 loss to Costa Rica. The squad could never consistently create offensive pressure, and the defense was made to look porous by Michael Barrantes's two goals and the one by Jairo Ovando.
The United States handed Cuba a second straight 3-0 defeat in the following match. Fortunately, the Cuban squad recovered and came back big against Belize in the group stage finale, winning 4-0 thanks to the efforts of Martinez.
Panama, meanwhile, earned a spot in the quarterfinals by placing first in Group A. Panama began its Gold Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Mexico, one of the early tournament favorites. Panama won another three points by defeating Martinique, helping secure Panama a spot at the top of its group. The team finished its final group stage match with a 0-0 draw against Canada.
While Cuba is confident from its rout of Belize, look for Panama to notch the win. My prediction: Panama wins, 2-1.
FOX Soccer Channel and Univision will broadcast the match on television.
*Stats via CONCACAF.com
