LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo has been called up to Panama’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica on Sept. 6 in Panama City and Sept. 10 against Honduras in Tegucigalpa, the Panamanian Federation announced on Sunday.
Penedo will be vital to Panama’s hopes to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and is expected to start both matches, but he will miss out on LA's Sept. 7 match against the Colorado Rapids.
The matches are vital ones for Los Canaleros as they look to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history. Currently, Panama is in fifth place in the Hexagonal just one point behind fourth place Honduras and a berth in the playoff against Oceania champion New Zealand. Honduras isn’t the only team in reach, however, as Panama is just two points behind third-place Mexico for CONCACAF’s last automatic qualifying spot.The local contingent of head coach Julio Dely Valdés' squad has already convened in preparation for the matches and are expected to be joined by their compatriots playing in Mexico and MLS after this weekend’s matches.
The complete list is below…
GOALKEEPERS: Jaime Penedo - L.A. Galaxy (USA), Luis Mejía - Fénix (URU), Alex Rodríguez - Sporting SM (PAN)
DEFENDERS: Luis Henríquez - Lech Poznan (POL), Felipe Baloy - Santos Laguna (MEX), Román Torres - Millonarios (COL), Roberto Chen - Málaga CF (ESP), Carlos Rodríguez - Chepo FC (PAN), Richard Dixon - Sporting SM (PAN), Harold Cummings - árabe Unido (PAN), Jean Carlo Cedeño - Alianza FC (PAN)
MIDFIELDERS: Alberto Quintero - Lobos BUAP (MEX), Amílcar Henríquez - Dep. Ind. Medellín (COL), Jairo Jiménez - Elche Ilicitano (ESP), Aníbal Godoy - Chepo FC (PAN), Juan de Dios Pérez - Tauro FC (PAN), Marcos Sánchez - Tauro FC (PAN), Eybir Bonaga - San Francisco FC (PAN), Gabriel Gómez - San Francisco FC (PAN)
FORWARDS: Cecilio Waterman - Fénix (URU), Blas Pérez - FC Dallas (USA), Gabriel Torres - Colorado Rapids (USA), Alcibiades Rojas - Sporting SM (PAN)
