By Ivan Orozco
GLENDALE, Arizona - Panama secured a slot in the Gold Cup quarter finals with a 4-0 win against short-handed Nicaragua in a Group C match at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday.
Blas Perez (35th minute), Gabriel Gomez (56th) and substitute Luis Tejada scored twice (76th and 88th) for Panama, which guaranteed at least a third-place finish in the group.
La Marea Roja or "The Red Wave" awaited the result of the Mexico-Guadeloupe match to know who will be its next opponent and next venue.
"We're going step by step, but we obtained the objective was set out with which was to reach the second round," Tejada said. "It doesn't matter to us who we face next. What we want is to have a good showing this tournament. We know that by winning the title a lot of doors would open for Panamanian players. We needed this. A win like this will give the team more motivation entering the next round."
Nicaragua, which participated in the Gold Cup for the first time, was eliminated. Nicaragua played the second half with 10 men after Franklin Lopez was ejected for kicking Gabriel Gomez in the second minute of injury time.
Lopez also received a yellow card in the 27th minute.
Things wouldn't get better for Nicaragua.
Perez's goal came off Victor Herrera's centered pass. Herrera tried sending a ball from left to right into the penalty box, but it ricocheted off a Nicaragua defender, redirecting the ball enough to float near the mouth of the goal.
Perez was charging into that area before diving to complete the header for the score by sending the ball past Nicaragua goalkeeper Denis Espinoza, who couldn't react in time.
The ball shot past the hands of Espinoza, who didn't have time to stretch for the ball.
"It helped to break open what was until then a tight game," Perez said. "Their expulsion further opened the game as it forced them to change their tactics a bit."
Perez's goal was his second of the tournament. He also scored in Panama's 1-1 draw with Mexico Thursday.
Tejada, who came in for Blas in the 66th minute, sent in two easy goals.
His first came off a mistake by Espinoza, who knocked high a Jorge Garces shot over his head, setting up Tejada to push the ball in with his chest.
Tejada also beat Espinoza for his second goal, this time rounding the goalkeeper to his right and sending a rolling shot into an open net.
Panama came into the match missing four starters due to disciplinary card suspensions.
Felipe Baloy, Nelson Barahone, Armando Gun and Ricardo Phillips served one-game suspensions.
Victor Herrera, Jose Solanilla, Carlos Rivera and Manuel Torres started in their place.
Nicaragua finished the match down a man men after Lopez was sent off for kicking Gomez while the Panamanian midfielder was on the ground.
Panama created a handful of scoring opportunities in the first half.
It's clearest before Perez's goal came in the 29th minute. It also involved Perez.
He had a shot via a header off Garces' floating pass but Espinosa got a fist on the ball, redirecting it onto the crossbar denying the score.
Nicaragua had the first three plays at goal but couldn't complete them.
Coach Otoniel Olivas' squad resembled a last place team in its first international tournament.
Wayward passes, lost balls, off target shots, defensive miscues and a little misfortune described Nicaragua's night.
Nicaragua's clearest shot at goal came early in the match.
Striker Samuel Wilson sent a header straight to the hands of Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo in the ninth minute.
Wilson also couldn't complete a play that included a filtered pass from Rudel Calero.
David Solorzano sent a left-footed blast from about 30-yards out but a well-positioned Penedo caught the shot in the 17th minute.
That was Nicaragua's last real threat with a man down and its hopes to continue in the Gold Cup diminishing.
For now, Panama will wait.
"We have to wait the result to see if it is the U.S. or another team but we'll be motivated to win our game no matter who we play," Perez said. "We had many chances in the first half and we were able to score a goal that gave us a lot of confidence. Revenge but also in reality it's very motivating to play against a team like the United States, who is one of the best teams in this region."
