Was there a more thrilling, expressive and sheer joyous moment during 2018 World Cup
qualification than this?
That moment – when Panama centre back Roman Torres scored the match winning goal in the
87th minute against Costa Rica at the Estadio Rommel Fernández to secure his country's
first ever World Cup qualification -- brings a tear to the eye every time you watch it.
Tens of thousands of Panamanians flooded the streets of Panama City to celebrate.
Such was the outpouring of love towards Los Canaleros (the team's nickname, fittingly,
is the Canal Boys) that the country's president Juan Carlos Varela announced that the next
day would be a national holiday, and all the schools would be shut.
"The voice of the people has been heard … tomorrow will be a national holiday,” he Tweeted,
giving his best Mayor Quimby impression.
But that moment had been built on a qualification campaign that looked, at times, doomed.
The team was up against more celebrated opponents, up against history, and up against tragedy
when one of their players was murdered mid-way through the campaign.
Panama didn't have much of a track record, nor much luck, when it came to World Cup qualification.
Los Canaleros didn't even attempt to qualify for a World Cup until 1976 when they tried,
and failed, to reach Argentina 78.
In fact, they even missed out on qualifying for the qualifying tournament for Argentina
78, the now defunct CONCACAF Championship, after losing four games in a row, including
a 7-0 mauling at the hands of Guatamala.
The closest they came was 2014 World Cup qualification, which ended in heartbreak.
Going into the last match against the USA, again at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama
had to win and hope a stuttering Mexico team tripped up against Costa Rica to reach the
intercontinental play offs against New Zealand.
With 90 minutes gone, Panama miraculously lead 2-1 and Mexico were losing 2-1.
Hold on for a few minutes more and they had made it.
But a crazy few minutes in injury time, saw the US score twice through Graham Zusi and
Aron Jóhannsson.
(YouTube video with American commentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxAonpKPU1E)
The goals left the Panama players devastated, including the team's veteran goalkeeper Jaime
Penedo who was in his third World Cup qualification campaign.
“We were really near to qualification,” Penedo later said.
“ It was a really hard blow to be eliminated.”
Penedo thought that he wouldn't have another chance.
But, as qualification began for Russia 2018, he decided to give it one last shot.
Panama had turned to the experienced but controversial Colombian coach Hernán Dario Gómez.
El Bolillo, or The Baton as he is known for his combative nature, had taken two national
teams to World Cup finals: his native Colombia in 1998 and Ecuador in 2002.
But he was not without baggage.
In 2011, shortly after beginning his second spell in charge of the Colombia national team,
he was filmed punching a woman outside a pub in Bogata.
She had, according to El Bolillo, criticized his tactical acumen.
Colombian politicians and women's rights groups demanded he be fired.
Which the Colombian federation refused to do.
But, eventually, El Bolillo quit.
“I have always been a defender of women, and I admire and respect them,” he said
announcing his resignation.
“This act shames me with my mother, with my wife and with all the women in my family
and in the country.”
Panama was his first national team job since then, with Los Canaleros seeded meaning that
they entered the fray in CONCACAF's penultimate round.
Panama were drawn against three teams who all had World Cup experience.
Costa Rica, Haiti and Jamaica.
Panama's road to Russia began on 13 November 2015, with a 2-0 victory against Jamaica in
Kingston.
They finished second behind Costa Rica and qualified for the final round, the so-called
Hexagonal, or Hex.
They's also started to get a taste of scoring late goals, from all over the pitch, as they
played an aggressive 442 formation.
Although their all time joint top-scorers Blas Perez continued to chip in with goals
too.
Panama began the final group stage strongly, beating Honduras and earning a creditable
0-0 draw against Mexico.
But Russia looked very far away when Panama lost 1-0 to Trinidad and Tobago in Port of
Spain.
“When Panama lost in Trinidad and Tobago it was a difficult result because we knew
the other teams were going to win on that field,” Penedo explained.
Still, the team ground out a 1-1 draw with the US were struggling in what looked like
an easy group.
But then disaster struck.
Panama midfielder Amilcar “Mickey” Henriquez was shot dead as he left his home in the city
of Colon in what appeared to be a coordinated hit.
Three young men were arrested and are under suspicion but no conviction has taken place
and there is still no explanation as to why he was killed.
Henriquez had played in 23 World Cup qualification matches.
His final cap was a 1-1 draw with the US.
The Murder stunned Henriquez's teammates.
“He wasn’t so much a friend as a brother to me.
Losing him was very painful.
I loved him so much that I still can’t come to terms with it.,” said midfielder Armando
Cooper.
The players vowed to qualify and dedicate it to Henriquez's memory.
“We’re very committed and we know he’s watching us from up above.
There could be no better tribute,” said Abdiel Arroyo.
In the end, it came down to the last game.
Panama had to beat already qualified Costa Rica, and hope that the US, who were in real
danger of missing out on a first World Cup since Mexico '86, trip up against bottom side
Trinidad and Tobago.
What happened next was perhaps the wildest night in CONCACAF history since Chuck Blazer
was given carte blanc with the CONCACAF expenses gold card.
Trinidad and Tobago went into a 2-0 lead before Dortmund's Christian Pulisic pulled one back.
Meanwhile, in Panama City, Panama had equalised through a goal that had clearly not crossed
the line.
“I’m gonna tell you something,” Penedo later explained.
“I’ve had to cry, literally cry with a referee’s decisions.
I’ve come out of some matches really, really sad because of a referee’s decision.
I’ve always said: ‘One time it will be my turn to laugh and to jump in happiness
about a wrong decision!’
And now it is.”
But the best was save until last.
Roman Torres, a centre back, galloped forward and walloped the ball in to the back of the
net with all the skill of a striker.
And then followed an excruciating four minutes.
The USA had lost.
When the referee blew his whistle, Panama had qualified for their first World Cup finals.
“I see players crying on the field,” said Penedo.
“I always thank God in every match, but I stayed quiet.
Calm.
I felt an internal pressure come out.
I’ve never felt that way.
I took a minute to myself, felt that, and then went to hug my mates.
And then the stadium was going to burst.
Everyone was hugging each other, wearing costumes.
It was crazy.
Panama City partied but, most importantly, the ghosts of that game against the USA four
years previously had been exorcised, and the memory of Amilcar Henriquez had been honoured.