The under-23 team of Panama is getting ready to travel to Honduras next Wednesday with the conviction of securing one of the places towards the world championship of the category, assured the team’s manager, Oliver De Gracia.
“We are going to prepare ourselves mentally and physically to opt for one of the places in the World Cup, we will go out to fight and look for a good position,” said the helmsman, adding that he has “a good group of players” from whom he has asked “a lot of discipline and dedication “, said De Gracia.
The Panamanians were placed in group B, which will be played in Tegucigalpa, and will face high-level teams such as Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina and the local Honduras.
While in group A, which will be played in Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, it presents teams such as: Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Peru and El Salvador.
The tournament will be played in a two-group system, with a super round of the best three from each side and a game for the gold medal and another for the bronze, with the 3 best nations advancing to the U23 World Cup in Mexico to be played. from October 1 to 11 in Mexico.
The Panamanian manager has formed a team with a mix of players from the local Panamanian tournament and some professional players who have received his permission from Major League Baseball organizations.
That is the case of outfielders Abraham Rodríguez, who belongs to the Chicago Cubs organization and Ramiro Rodríguez, who plays in the minor leagues for the Houston Astros.
The Panamanian team was made up of:
Launchers: Abraham Atencio (Veraguas), Cristian Franco (West), Dario Osorio (Coclé), Juan Lanza (Panama East), Raúl DeGracia (Los Santos), Reynel Guevara (Coclé), Aldair Miranda (West), Melitón Reyes (Coclé) , Bryan Sousa (West) and José Amaya (West).
Receivers: Robert Müllen (Metro) and Randall Sánchez (Bocas del Toro).
Inner Box. Jason Patterson (Colón), Gertrudis Tello (Herrera), Félix Arosemena (Los Santos), Jonathan Rivera (Metro), Enoc Watts (Metro) and Jairo Carrillo (Metro).
Gardeners: Ricardo Borbúa (Colón), Abraham Rodríguez (Chicago Cubs), Ramiro Rodríguez (Houston Astros), César Cortez (Los Santos), Carlos Cortez (West) and Carlos Mosquera (Metro). EFE