Honduras and Panama had to settle for a point each after a dramatic 1-1 draw in their CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A clash at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Panama took the lead midway through the first half when Luis Tejada bundled home from close range, but Hernan Gomez's side were aggrieved when they were denied what appeared to be an obvious penalty just before half time.
In a bad tempered second half, Honduras battled back and eventually levelled the tie through Andy Najar who fired home the rebound after Jaime Penedo had turned his penalty onto the crossbar.
Panama then had Luis Henriquez sent off in added time.
Follow how the game unfolded below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of tonight's CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A encounter between Honduras and Panama.
It was a tough opener for Hernan Gomez's Panama, who conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with Haiti after dominating their Gold Cup opener. Can they get back on track against Honduras tonight?
Panama have gained something of a reputation as a tough side to break down. Indeed, Hernan Gomez's side have conceded one goal or less in 11 straight Gold Cup games.
The lineups are in...
HONDURAS STARTING XI: Escober, Crisanto, M. Figueroa, J. Palacios, H. Figueroa, Beckeles, Claros, Najar, Acosta, Discua, Lozano.
PANAMA STARTING XI: Penedo, Machado, Henriquez, Cummings, Torres, Cooper, Godoy, Gomez, Quintero, Tejada, Perez.
The Hondurans are still without the influential Boniek Garcia, who has to make do with a place on the bench. Garcia, who has 102 caps for his country, sat out the defeat to the USA due to a left ankle injury.
Neither side comes into this one in great form. Panama haven't recorded a win in their last three games, while Honduras are winless in their last four. Surely something has to give tonight?
Whatever happens tonight, Hernan Gomez will probably be hoping for a quiet night. The Panama coach caught everyone's attention when he unleashed his frustration during the draw with Haiti on an unsuspecting water bottle. Gulp.
Honduras coach Jorge Luis Pinto wasn't much happier with his side after Clint Dempsey downed them with a brace. "Nobody likes to lose," he told reporters after the defeat, "but I leave with some peace of mind because although we lost to a very good in the team, we created many of the better plays."
A bit of history. Neither of tonight's sides has ever won the Gold Cup, but both have come agonisingly close. Honduras finished runners up back in 1991, while Panama have twice come second, in 2005 and 2013.
With the USA facing the unfancied Haiti in tonight's other clash, both teams will know that second spot in Group A is the best they can hope for, making three points in this game extremely important.
We're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff at the Gillette Stadium...
The teams are out for the national anthems. Honduras are playing in white, and Panama lineup in red.
Anderlecht's Andy Najar is among the better known members of this Honduras squad, and he's belting out the anthem like his life depends on it. Inspiring stuff. There's a strong Honduran contingent in Boston too, who sing along with gusto.
England fans will no doubt remember some of this Honduras side from the storm interrupted goalless draw the Three Lions played out with Honduras in the build up to last year's World Cup. Hopefully tonight's game is a bit more inspiring!
KICKOFF: And we're off! Honduras get us under way, kicking from right to left.
Honduras start brightly, knocking the ball about comfortably at the back before going long. Brayan Beckeles picks it up wide on the left of the Panama box, but he's penalised for a foul and Panama clear their lines.
CHANCE! Early chance for the Hondurans as they break following a Panama freekick. Najar is picked out and races onto the loose ball, but his first-time effort is blocked and spins away for a corner. Lively start to this one.
Panama press Honduras high up the pitch, and almost get a sniff when Luis Tejada nicks the ball from Bryan Acosta, but the big striker is adjudged to have commited a foul and Honduras have a freekick, much to their relief.
A long throw from the right flank momentarily causes panic in the Honduras box. They scramble it clear, but only as far as the waiting Gabriel Enrique Gomez, but his effort trundles tamely wide of goal.
SAVE! CHANCE! Panama win a freekick on the edge of the Honduras box. Anibal Godoy lines up to cross, then swings an effort towards the top corner of goal, but Donis Escober is alive to the danger and claws it away.
A long punt forward from Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo finds its way to Armando Cooper on the right hand side of the Honduras box. He twists his way clear of his marker and cuts a low cross along the face of the six yard box, but there's no Panama man there to turn the ball home.
CHANCE! Gabriel Enrique Gomez hammers a 20-yard free kick towards goal, but Donis Escober again gets a hand to the ball. Panama are growing into this game.
CHANCE! Well, just as Panama were getting a foothold in the game, Honduras show their quality and could easily be ahead. A quick ball forward finds its way to Brayan Beckeles, who cuts it back to Carlos Discua to unleash a powerful shot on goal from 12 yards that is tipped behind by Jaime Penedo.
GOAL! GOAL PANAMA 1-0 HONDURAS (TEJADA)
GOAL! Well its scrappy, but they all count and Panama certainly won't be complaining. Panama play a central free kick from the edge of the box out wide, resulting in a cross from the right that deflects of Escober and up to Tejada, who knocks the ball over the line from inside six yards with his chest.
Panama are just trying to slow the game down since taking the lead. When they do finally attack through a free kick from near half way, they're flagged for offside.
There's a bit of a delay as Tejada receives some treatment following a clash with Maynor Figueroa. The Panama striker seemed to fall on top of the Hull City man, not sure how he managed to come off worse there. Either way, he's back on his feet and we're under way again.
Panama are caught ludicrously high up the pitch allowing Honduras to send Lozano clear of their back line. He bears down on goal but delays his shot, allowing a Panama defender to scamper back and hack the ball clear. He really should have done better with that.
SAVE! Panama have Penedo to thank for keeping them in front here as he pulls off a magnificent save. Honduras chip the ball towards Palacios at the back post, who drills a first-time volleyed ball across the face of goal, which Discua launches himself at. Discua connects with real venom from less than six yards, but Penedo flings himself low to his left to keep the ball out.
CHANCE! Honduras are all over Panama here. Najar skips clear down the left and tries to pick out the waiting Discua from the edge of the box. The pass isn't quite on the money, but Panama make a hash of it and the ball drops to Discua ten yards out who lashes an effort high and wide of goal. A bit of composure there and this game would be level.
There's another delay as Gomez goes down under a heavy tackle from Acosta. The referee keeps his cards in his pocket, but that was a meaty challenge. The Panama man is up, but he's walking a little gingerly.
Cummings turns a Crisanto cross behind for a corner and Honduras send reinforcements forwards. The delivery is a disappointing one, but the ball breaks to Figueroa who curls a cross back into the box, which Penedo just claims ahead of Discua.
Panama will feel very hard to done to here. Quintero burts into the Honduras box, and just as he is about to pull the trigger, Beckeles slides in and takes his feet out from under him. There's not a man, woman or child in the ground that doesn't think it's a penalty, except the referee who waves play on. That could be a huge moment in this game, and in this Gold Cup.
Two minutes of added on time here at the Gillette Stadium.
CHANCE! Late chance for Honduras as Lozano holds off the challenge of Cummings and gets his head to a cross, but he directs his effort straight at Penedo.
HALF TIME: PANAMA 1-0 HONDURAS
There's a bit of pushing and shoving as the two sides leave the field for half time. Panama are clearly still upset at not being awarded a penalty shortly before half time for Beckeles' wild tackle on Quintero. They lead Honduras 1-0, but will no doubt feel they could be further ahead.
That said, Honduras haven't been short of chances, and could easily be ahead themselves. Najar and Discua have been particularly lively, and only a combination of some wasteful finishing and some heroics from Penedo have kept them off the scoresheet.
Remember, if Honduras lose tonight and the result in the game between USA and Haiti doesn't go their way, they'll be out of this tournament. Jorge Luis Pinto needs to work some magic at half time.
However, Jorge Luis Pinto is the man who led Costa Rica to the quarter finals of last summer's World Cup, winning a legion of new fans around the world in the process, so he's clearly capable of whipping up a bit of winning spirit.
The players are on their way out. Second half coming up...
KICKOFF! Panama re-start the game
My word. The second half is barely 30 seconds old when Panama have another penalty shout waved away. This time its Cooper who gets to the byline on the left of goal, only to take a tumble under the challenge of Beckeles. The referee is utterly unmoved, and on this occasion he's probably right.
Ouch! Honduras swing a free kick into the box. Penedo comes for it but crashes into Henry Figueroa. For a moment it appears the Honduran is out cold, but he hobbles off the pitch for treatment. That looked nasty, but the physio indicates he's OK to come back on.
It all gets a bit scrappy as both sides give away a flurry of free kicks, none of which amount to anything or draw a card.
CHANCE! Most of Honduras' attacking play has come down the left, and its down this flank that this chance comes. Najar and Beckeles combine and deliver a tantalising ball for Lozano, who beats Penedo to the ball but can't make a decent connection. Inches away from 1-1.
Machado brings down Najar, again on the Honduran left. The resulting free kick is slung in right underneath Penedo's cross bar, but the Panama goalkeeper gets his bearings right and makes a safe catch.
BOOKING! Beckeles, who was fortunate not to give away a penalty earlier, finds his way into the book for a trip on Cooper.
This second half is low on quality so far, but the game is already getting really stretched. Can Honduras work that to their advantage, or will Panama be able to pick their opponents off?
DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION! Honduras shuffle their pack as Henry Figueroa is replaced by Eddy Hernandez and Carlos Discua makes way for Mario Martinez.
BOOKING! Luis Tejada brings down Jorge Claros on the edge of the box, clumsy rather than cynical.
CHANCE! Nearly an instant impact from the substitutes for Honduras. The free kick is taken short to Martinez who drills a 20-yard effort against the cross bar. The rebound falls to Hernandez who nods into an empty net, only to be flagged offside. Replays show the officials got that one right.
Honduras are throwing men forward in search of an equaliser, and they're leaving huge gaps at the back. Panama could easily profit from this if Honduras aren't careful, but with time running out Pinto's side have little choice.
SUBSTITUTION! Gomez is in the wars again for Panama and this time Gomez decides to simply bring him off. Abdiel Arroyo, a striker, comes on in his place.
BOOKING! Adolfo Machado goes into the book for a cynical tug on the shirt of Beckeles.
The tackles continue to fly as Quinero sytHes down Acosta 35 yards out on the right. Martinez swings in the cross buy Figuroa can only head it over.
PENALTY TO HONDURAS
GOAL PANAMA 1-1 HONDURAS (NAJAR)
GOAL! Cooper bundles Najar over in the box, the referee gives the penalty and books Cooper. But after Panama's penalty woe earlier its too much for Gomez's side to take and the decision sparks a melee as they make their protests. Things finally calm down and Najar steps up to take the penalty. Penedo gets something on the spot kick and turns it onto the bar, but the ball rebounds to Najar who tucks it home to level the game.
Incredible. Panama are absolutely livid. Pimentel picks out Arroyo with a sublime through ball, and as the striker approaches the box he's hacked down. Panama are adamant the foul was inside the box, but the referee gives a free kick on the very edge of the area, which replays show is the correct decision.
Godoy steps up to take the free kick, but curls it harmlessly into the wall and Honduras hurriedly clear the ball. Claros appears to have been booked in the scrum that preceded the set piece.
SUBSTITUTION! Its the last roll of the dice for Honduras as Bryan Acosta is replaced by Romell Quioto.
SUBSTITUTION! Panama make a change of their own as Gabriel Torres comes on for Alberto Quintero.
Six minutes will be added on here. Hardly a surprise given the bad tempered nature to this second half. Panama really aren't happy. Penedo is booked for time wasting, which only angers them further.
CHANCE! Romell Quioto has only been on the pitch for five minutes, but he should have won this game for Honduras. A cross from the left evades everyone except the late arriving Quioto, who steams in at the back post and somehow blazes the ball over the open goal from less than six yards.
DISALLOWED GOAL! My word. Hernandez thinks he's won the game for Honduras when he sweeps home the lose ball after Penedo had made a diving low save from an effort from the edge of the box, but the substitute is flagged offside.
RED CARD! Luis Henriquez sees red for Panama. It's not entirely clear what for, but given the nature of this game that's not a surprise. It appears he get two yellow cards in quick succession, the first for a foul and the second for something he said to the referee in the aftermath. Very strange.
FULL TIME: PANAMA 1-1 HONDURAS
The referee brings an absolute rollercoaster of a game to an end. It wasn't always the highest quality, but it was certainly entertaining, and it means Group A will go right down to the wire.
A point doesn't do much for either side, and both teams will feel they should have had all three. Panama are clearly not happy with the referee, and will point to the failure to award their side what appeared to be a clear cut penalty in the 43rd minute.
That's it from me. I hope you enjoyed the game, and be sure to stick with Sports Mole for further coverage of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Written by
Joe Sharratt
Joe Sharratt
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