Panama has never gone to a world championship of any kind in soccer. Coaching the under-23 team, Gary Stempel came reasonably close to getting us in the 2000 Olympics, but in the end Panama fell short. "Next time" might have been a consideration, but for a proffered deal that mostly favored Panamanian Football Federation (FEPAFUT) dignitaries. Stempel kept his reputation and left the job.

After a season coaching in ANAPROF, Stempel was again approached by FEPAFUT, this time with an offer that he could ethically accept, coaching the national under-20 team. "El Profesor," as his players call him, took a squad that's not physically very big and lacks a superstar and prepared them in unusual ways, beating favored Central American and Caribbean teams and winning enough games to get into the regional qualifying tournament, which, as luck would have it, was to take place in Panama this year. It was to be a confrontation among Panama, Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba, with the top two teams winning passes to the World Championships in the United Arab Emirates next year.

Soccer fans thus had the chance to see three doubleheaders at the National Stadium, on October 16, 18 and 20.

On the 16th I found myself seated in the upper bleachers, behind the goal in what's left field when the stadium is put to its more usual baseball use. The stadium was far from full, with a much bigger crowd in the cheap seats --- which were closer to the playing field than the boxes the way they had the field laid out.

The first game was between Mexico and Cuba, and the 2-0 score grossly understated the difference between the two squads. Mexico had skill and athleticism, while Cuba had a little athleticism and hardly any skill, and worse yet, not much hustle. By most pre-tournament estimates, Cuba would be the doormat and Mexico the favorite.

Then came the confrontation between Panama and Guatemala, two teams with similar strengths and weaknesses. The exception, however, was that the Panamanians were in better condition and more athletic, and outran the Guatemalans all night long. The Panamanians swarmed all over Guatemala in the opening minutes, but then their goalie took some time to writhe around on a couple of injuries that didn't take him out of the game, and after the breather things settled down to a closer than equal contest.

But still Stempel's squad was having it's accustomed trouble getting the ball in the opposition's net, despite leading Guatemala 8 to 5 in shots on goal and 6 to 3 in corner kicks. As regular time ran out in the second half, it looked like Guatemala and Panama had stood each other off to a scoreless tie.

Then midfielder Gabriel "Gavilán" Gómez sent a crossing pass from the right side, and sustitute César Aguilar headed it into the corner of the net, 1 minute and 44 seconds into injury and penalty time. All liquids went airborne, the crowd roared, the stands shook, and Panama was most of the way toward a ticket to the UAE.

On the 18th Mexico manhandled Guatemala and Panama had a reasonably easy time besting Cuba 2-0, and that accomplished their goal. What was left was a showdown about pride, against a favored Mexican team.

On the 20th, things started badly. Right at the start, Mexicans swarmed the net, a strange little high pass in the box looked like the stuff of which headers are made, but it was played as a bicycle kick, goalie Carlos Valdés was just out of position enough and Mexico had a 1-0 lead.

But then Panama showed some resiliance and maturity, stopped the Mexican onslaught, and gradually came to dominate the field. But they still went to the locker room down 1-0 at halftime. Panama continued to press in the second half, during which once, then twice, Mexico got nailed for handballs in the penalty area. On each of those occasions Gómez turned Mexico's errors into penalty shot scores. Panama won the game 2-1.

The crowd, and all Panama, went more or less completely nuts. Gary Stempel's squad had beaten mighty Mexico, and will go to the UAE not as a team that's lucky to be there but as an underdog that nevertheless is not to be taken lightly.

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