United States Men’s National Soccer Team Enters Final Gold Cup Group Play Match

With a berth in the Group A quarterfinals already secured, some are concerned the United States men’s national soccer team will have little to play for when they take the field against Panama on Monday at Sporting Park in Kansas City in their final outing in group play of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

Or maybe that won’t be the case after all. Following victories over Honduras and Haiti, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is still tinkering with his lineup in hopes of finding the perfect balance. Between their opening win and game two triumph, Klinsmann made seven lineup changes and that could only help to fuel the team as they prepare to make a deep run. They’ll be taking on a scrappy Panama squad that is desperate for a result in order to advance to the knockout round, so this could also serve as a useful tune-up match. In any event, secondary market Gold Cup tickets are still drawing much activity, as fans hope the U.S. can continue its momentum from the World Cup a year ago.

Average ticket prices for this contest are clocking in at $189.92, with a get-in of $52. Fans wanting to catch the U.S. soccer team before they move on to the next round can get to Sporting Park with Hipmunk.com’s affordable Kansas City flights, as they have a wide variety of options. In addition, Hipmunk also features cheap Kansas City hotel listings starting from $69, for those interested in making it a soccer vacation.

“We had the privilege to make a lot of changes and give almost everybody the experience,” Klinsmann told USSoccer.com. “Now we also have a privilege to handle the third match the way we want to from a coach’s perspective because we already won the group. It’s very nice and a compliment to the team, but it was a lot of work as you saw.”

No matter the approach, veteran forward Gyasi Zardes figures to be right in the middle of things,as sparked by the team’s newly installed 4-2-3-1 formation. After struggling mightily against Haiti in the first half, Klinsmann turned to both at halftime and each of them instantly paid dividends. The 23-year-old speed demon set up the game’s only goal on a pullback to Clint Dempsey (third strike of the tournament) in the 47th minute, and the change in play made it much easier for the Americans to combat Haiti’s pressing style.

“Gyasi has the special talent to take people on,” Klinsmann raved after the pivotal victory. “He has a lot of talent and a lot of potential. We just want to tell him every day, ‘One step at a time.’ It’s a real joy to work with him.”

As much as it’s about going forward, Monday’s tilt is also steeped in storied history. Team USA knocked off Panama, 1-0, in the 2013 Gold Cup Final, and again in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying circle when the Americans overcame a 2-1 deficit at the 90-minute mark by netting a pair of goals during stoppage time to garner a 3-2 win. That result also eliminated Panama from World Cup contention on their home turf.