Panama were eliminated from World Cup contention after 1-0 loss to Croatia on Tuesday, Yankee Scores reports…
Croatia, who made it to the last four of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, were looking to bounce back after a 4-2 defeat to England in their opening Group L game.
In the end, Ante Budimir’s 54th minute goal proved enough to see off the spirited Central Americans.
“You cannot win a match if you don’t score,” said Panama’s Danish-born coach Thomas Christiansen.
But he told reporters he was “super proud” of his players for how they battled against the higher-ranked Croatian side.
Despite being eliminated from the tournament, Christiansen said Panama had taken strides forward.
“These players, after these two World Cup matches, won’t be where they are today.”
