Panama v Honduras: Garcia available for Gomez´s men

Panama and Honduras will both be out for redemption, when they face off in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday.

Hernan Gomez’s Panama were in full control of their Group A opener against Haiti, but conceded late to draw 1-1 on Tuesday – while Honduras are bottom of the group after a 2-1 loss to United States.

In a boost for the Hondurans, Boniek Garcia is available after missing the clash with the Americans due to a left ankle injury.

The 102-time international will bolster Honduras’ experience in the middle of the park, the right winger set to at least get some minutes off the bench – having last started almost a month ago in their friendly loss to Brazil.

Panama, meanwhile, have to overcome the frustration of their first-up draw, on show when coach Hernan Gomez kicked a water bottle along the sideline after Haiti’s unexpected equaliser.

Gomez’s side have a strong historical record at the tournament, with two runner-up finishes in the past five Gold Cups.

Honduras come into the fixture at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on a four-match winless streak, while the Panamanians have not won in three.

Coach Jorge Luis Pinto was not distraught following their defeat to a Clint Dempsey brace, but will undoubtedly want his Honduras side to get their campaign back on track.

“Nobody likes to lose, but I leave with some peace of mind because although we lost to a very good in the team, we created many of the better plays,” Pinto said.