Every one wants a shot at U.S.A.

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This article was published 14/03/2025 (225 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What do you get when you bring a bunch of angry Canadians, aggrieved Panamanians and resentful Mexicans to the United States in March of 2025? Why, the CONCACAF Nations League finals, of course.

As the football fates would have it, these are the three countries whose national teams will look to topple the reigning and three-time champion Americans in Greater Los Angeles next week. One has had its sovereignty threatened; one its nationalized canal; and the other, take your pick – all by a U.S. government as belligerent as it is incompetent.

The recent 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament was bitter enough. Now add some royally peeved Central Americans to the mix. Things could get sour in a hurry. All three visiting sides want a crack at the States, suddenly thrust into the role of Enemy No.1 in a sport they’re just sort of good at.

Only Panama, however, are guaranteed to face the Americans. Needless to say, it’s a matchup they can’t wait to get started.

Despite the absences of defender Michael Murillo and midfielders Edgar Barcenas and Andres Andrade through injury, the aptly nicknamed Canaleros (Canal Men) are deep enough and incensed enough to ensure Thursday’s first semifinal at Inglewood, Calif., SoFi Stadium (6 p.m., all matches on OneSoccer) will be of the can’t-miss variety.

Just a few days ago, Panama’s foreign minister was forced to shoot down the latest Oval Office provocation, saying “Panama remains steadfast in its defence of its territory, its Canal and its sovereignty.”

Not keen to involve himself politically, manager Thomas Christiansen talked only about on-field matters ahead of the tournament.

“We know how good we are, and how poorly we can play if we don’t give 100 per cent on the field,” he said. “I’m not going to give up on my quest for victory.”

Why would he? Panama beat the United States in the 2023 Gold Cup semifinals and repeated the feat at last summer’s Copa America. It’s not like he’ll have to motivate his team. That happened shortly after the inauguration.

For the Canadian players to get their shot at the Americans, they’ll have to replicate the Nations League hosts’ result a few hours later in their semifinal against Mexico (Thursday, 9:30 p.m.). Should the United States beat Panama, Canada will need to overcome El Tri to set up a tantalizing final (Sunday, 8:30 p.m.). Should the U.S. lose, a Canadian defeat would see the two nations square off in the third-place match (Sunday, 5 p.m.).

Just like the Panamanians, however, they have no interest in losing.

In announcing his tournament squad on Wednesday, Canada boss Jesse Marsch reflected this is “the strongest the Canadian national soccer team has ever looked.” And in commenting on the omissions of Theo Bair, Kamal Miller and Nathan Saliba, he admitted some difficult decisions went into assembling the current group of players.

“The good thing is that this is the hardest squad I’ve had to put together,” he said.

Fresh off agreeing a new contract with Bayern Munich, a healthy and in-form Alphonso Davies will once again captain the side, and usual suspects Jonathan David, Stephen Eustaquio, Derek Cornelius and Moise Bombito will play from the start against Mexico as well.

Notable newcomers Daniel Jebbison and Promise David could also get minutes on Thursday night.

Jebbison, a Bournemouth striker, actually represented England’s underage teams on 13 occasions and was part of the squad that won the European Under-19 Championship in 2022. Promise David (no relation to Jonathan), meanwhile, has been setting the Belgian Pro League alight with Union Saint-Gilloise, and Marsch won’t mind that he also happens to stand 6-5.

Canada do have a bit of a question mark in goal, as regular starter Maxime Crepeau is still recovering from injury. Dayne St. Clair has enjoyed a good start to the season at Minnesota United, and, besides, the Cornelius-Bombito defensive pairing should ensure attacking opponents have to work hard for any goalscoring opportunity.

Marsch is well aware that Canada haven’t won a trophy since the 2000 Gold Cup. He wants silverware, and he’d love nothing more than to get it in his home country.

In late February, he fumed that the U.S. president should “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being a 51st state.” Then, looking ahead to this Nations League Finals, he said, “I guarantee you, our team will be ready.”

First they have to be ready for Mexico.

Historically El Tri, and not The Stars and Stripes, have been the CONCACAF target, albeit for mostly footballing reasons. That’s not so much the case anymore, although the 2023 Gold Cup winners will still be a tough out.

They’ll also have the 70,000-capacity SoFi packed with partisan fans who will no doubt want their own opportunity to take on the Americans – and to completely drown out The Star Spangled-Banner – in Sunday’s final.

Crucially, captain Edson Alvarez will be back in the fold after being injured in the first half of the first match of the Copa America. Santiago Gimenez, who scored 16 goals in 19 matches for Feyenoord this season before moving to AC Milan, where he’s already bagged three more, will provide manager Javier Aguirre an attacking option alongside proven forward Raul Jimenez. This instalment of the Mexican national team is arguably better than the one that lifted the last Gold Cup, and miles better than the one that disappointed at Copa America.

What of the United States – the team everyone’s gunning for?

Other than the omission of Brenden Aaronson, it’s basically as expected. Their strength is in the centre of the park, where Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams can open up or shut down matches as well as any unit in CONCACAF. In attack, newcomer Patrick Agyemang has scored in each of his first two matches for the U.S.

They’ve won three successive Nations Leagues because they’ve been good enough, although it doesn’t hurt that CONCACAF simply won’t stage major events outside the country.

Since taking over the national team in October, new manager Mauricio Pochettino has coached abroad only twice. Upcoming friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland are also scheduled for home fields.

It’s coincidence, of course, and yet there’s also something reflective of a country that no longer has any interest in anything that happens beyond its borders. And you wonder, would Pochettino — who could have worked almost anywhere — have taken this job if he knew what it would represent after January 20?

Someone should ask him. Better yet, two of Canada, Panama and Mexico should show him what he’s got into over the next few days.

The only real loser of this Nations League Finals will be the one participant that doesn’t get to take the pitch against the U.S.A.

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