Ian Prescott
Trinidad Express
ONCE they realised I was from Trinidad and Tobago, the Panamanian footballers sent a message-via a barrage of Spanish lingo and familiar hand gestures.
You don't have to understand the language to know what he was saying. I understood.
Once he started, many of his teammates soon joined in. But, it was all in fun and we all had a good laugh.
What was clear though was that the Panamanian players were sending a message that they are coming to beat Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday night at the Estadio Rommell Fernandez.
While T&T trained at the National Stadium where baseball is played, the Panama coach, Colombian Jose Hernandez, had his players in more serious mode as they trained in a subdued atmosphere at the match venue, the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium.
The Panamanians had a very low-keyed training session. Now they are virtually eliminated from qualification, there were no fans to see the team train at the Rommel Fernandez at 9.30 p.m. yesterday morning.
Except for two athletes using the track, the only persons on hand were the Panamanian Federation´s press officer and one Spanish television crew. In a nation which is crazy for baseball, almost nothing is mentioned about the game in the press. Yesterday, the ticket counter was closed, and there is a feeling the Estadio Fernandez may not be full for the match.
Built only in the mid 1990´s, the 25,000-seater did not look like a well kept facility. Old concrete benches line the stadium which was named after Rommel Fernandez, who played with Valencia and Tenerife in Spain and was the first Panamanian footballer to play in Europe. Some think he was their best ever player.
He played his last match for Panama on August 23, 1992 in Costa Rica. On May 6, 1993, he lost control of his car on the highway and hit a tree, sadly dying in the accident.
Yesterday, Fernandez's squad included some familar faces such as blonde midfielder Julio Medina and the Daly Valdez brothers. However, they were not in the squad which Panama announced. The squad also seems to include several young players who may be playing international football for the first time.
