It was clear from the outset that Belgium, stocked with players from top European clubs, was superior to Panama, which is playing in the World Cup for the first time. The chances came fast for Belgium, but with striker Romelu Lukaku tightly marked, the finishing touch was not there, at least initially. In the end, the gap was too great and reality got in the way. The Panama manager, Hernán Dario “Bolillo” Gómez, had warned there would be four possible outcomes in every game when they reached the World Cup for the first time in history: they could win, they could draw, they could lose, and they could be goleado: roundly defeated.
In Sochi, where more than 4,000 fans had travelled 7,200 miles, outnumbering Belgian supporters by four to one – and where the Russians in the stadium were on their side too, Panama resisted for a while, competed too, but succumbed. “Yes we can,” they had chanted but no, no, they couldn’t. A wonderful volley from Dries Mertens and two goals from Romelu Lukaku completed the beating. Gómez suggested the difference between these countries – in talent, history and the teams their footballers represent, even in physical condition – is greater than three goals. “It wasn’t seven,” he noted. “People can see three goals and feel ashamed, embarrassed, but we did not let ourselves down.”
Mertens plays for Napoli, while Lukaku is at Manchester United; the two players Mertens’ shot flew past, the goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and the centre-back Román Torres, are at Dinamo Bucharest and Seattle Sounders. Other clubs represented by the team ranked 55 in the world, the country with a population of 3.5 million, where baseball is still just about the most popular sport, include Dunajska Streda, Gent, and Bucaramanga. There was disappointment and no recrimination. As Fidel Escobar ran up to hit a free-kick in the final minutes a metallic percussion greeted him. When Armando Cooper dashed through just after, only to be tumbled, they roared. There was pride as Panama sought to take something from this. Bolillo called the occasion “fantastic”. He added: “I told the lads they had played well and no one could point the finger.” Here, at least, they did not.
At the end, Belgium clapped their fans in the corner. Panama gathered in a circle and prayed. As they came away the stadium erupted in more applause. They had been goleado but they had been “worthy”, their manager said. Belgium got the win they sought, and ultimately a comfortable one, largely easing their way through the second half. “I couldn’t be prouder of my team,” Roberto Martínez said.
