CONCACAF World Cup qualifying: Suriname hold Panama, El Salvador seize early Group A lead

Rain, nerves, and a first-time matchup set the tone in Paramaribo. Suriname frustrated Panama in a 0-0 scrap that never quite opened up, while El Salvador jumped to the top of Group A thanks to a late winner in Guatemala City. Day one of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying for the final round delivered a twist: the favorite didn’t win, and the underdogs didn’t blink.

This was a milestone night for Suriname. It was their first official meeting with Panama, and it came with weight. They’re in the final round of qualifying for only the second time since 1978, riding a surge that has turned heads in the region. Panama, fresh off five straight qualifying wins before kickoff, found no way through a disciplined back line that refused to panic in the wet and the noise of the Franklin Essed Stadium.

Meanwhile, El Salvador made its moment count. Harold Osorio’s 79th-minute strike silenced Guatemala and flipped the early standings. Three points on the road in a short group is gold. The picture after one matchday is simple: El Salvador on three points; Suriname and Panama on one; Guatemala on none. But the story is only just getting started.

The stalemate in Paramaribo

If you’re Panama coach Thomas Christiansen, this felt like a missed chance. The visitors had the pedigree—World Cup veterans from 2018, rhythm from recent form, and the expectation to control the night. They did control the ball in long stretches, but not the penalty area. The surface was slick, the timing off, and every half-chance turned into another blocked shot or hurried cross.

Suriname coach Stanley Menzo, the former Ajax and Netherlands goalkeeper, set his team up to be stubborn and clear-headed. The shape stayed compact between the lines, with midfielders collapsing onto Panama’s creative outlets and fullbacks stepping just enough to disrupt the wide overloads. When Suriname pushed forward, they did it in quick, two- or three-pass bursts—nothing reckless, everything measured. It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t meant to be.

The rain mattered. Touches that normally zip across the turf died on contact. Tackles that start clean can turn risky when the ball sticks. Both teams adjusted by going more direct, and that fed right into Suriname’s plan: win the second ball, slow the tempo, draw fouls, reset. Panama crafted a few promising looks from set pieces, but the final contact never arrived with conviction.

This draw means more to Suriname than the numbers show. They extended an unbeaten run in qualifiers that has given this squad belief. It’s not just results; it’s an identity taking shape. For years, Suriname sat in the shadow of its own diaspora, as talented players with Surinamese roots shone in Europe while wearing other national shirts. In recent cycles, eligibility changes and smart outreach have helped the national team pull those threads together. You can see the result: a group comfortable in the fight, organized without the ball, and confident enough to punch when the chance presents itself.

Panama won’t panic. Christiansen has guided the team through enough high-stakes qualifiers to know how to smooth out a sticky night. The pieces are there: a back line that can build, midfielders who can dictate, wingers who can isolate. What’s missing is the early goal that forces opponents to open up. In a short group stage, they’ll want sharper set-piece delivery, quicker combinations at the top of the box, and more decisive runs across the near post. Small corrections, big impact.

Three quick takeaways from the 0-0:

• Game state favored Suriname. The longer it stayed level, the more the home side could lean into compact lines and quick counters.
• Weather shaped decisions. Panama’s best passages still lacked clean touches in Zone 14, which capped shot quality.
• Discipline mattered. Few cheap fouls in dangerous spots for Suriname and tight marking on second balls killed Panama’s rhythm.

El Salvador’s late punch and the Group A squeeze

El Salvador didn’t dominate in Guatemala City—they didn’t need to. They managed the moments and waited for one they could finish. Harold Osorio found it in the 79th minute, and that was enough for three away points that could swing the group in the months ahead. In a race where margins are thin, one clinical action beats a dozen half-chances.

For Guatemala, this stings. Home openers in qualifying are supposed to set the tone. Instead, they chase the pack after one matchday. It’s not fatal, but it tightens every decision in the next fixtures: risk more players forward or protect the back line, rotate for energy or keep the core together. The math in a four-team group punishes even short lapses.

Here’s what the early table really means. El Salvador’s win gives them a head start, but not safety. Suriname and Panama sit a step behind with a point and an argument they could have had more. Guatemala will feel they left something on the table. With only a few matchdays in play before November, you can’t bank on late surges to save you. Each game is a swing game.

The format adds edge. With the United States, Mexico, and Canada already in as co-hosts of 2026, only three automatic tickets are left for everyone else. In this final round, 12 teams are split across three groups. Win your group and you’re in. If you finish second, your fate depends on how your record stacks up against the other runners-up—two of them will get a lifeline through inter-confederation playoffs. Every point, every goal, every tiebreaker matters.

What should each team focus on from here?

• El Salvador: Turn grit into control at home. Protect that lead by making home dates boring for the opponent—slow tempo, control restarts, and pick spots to press.
• Suriname: Keep the defensive identity and add a few set-piece wrinkles. One clever routine can flip a tight match and force opponents to chase.
• Panama: Speed up the final third. Fewer touches around the box, more vertical runs, and braver early crosses to attack the first contact.
• Guatemala: Fix the box first. Create more cutbacks instead of hopeful high balls; defend the back post with numbers in transition.

Travel and scheduling will test depth. These games stack up quickly, the climates change, and the margin for error shrinks as the group tightens. Coaches will have to rotate without losing cohesion. That means building partnerships—center-backs who move as one, double pivots that pass on runners, wide players who know when to stay high and when to tuck in. The teams that keep their structure when they rotate will gain ground late.

Set pieces could decide this group. In the rain in Paramaribo, they almost did. In Guatemala City, one clean strike made the difference. Expect more training-ground routines in the next matchdays—near-post screens, late surges at the penalty spot, outswingers aimed at the second phase. The team that nails the details will turn draws into wins.

One more layer: game management. The best sides in qualifying don’t just play well; they manage the middle 20 minutes of each half. That’s where matches swing—after the early press fades and before legs get heavy. If El Salvador can own that stretch at home, if Suriname can keep killing tempo away, if Panama can raise the speed there, and if Guatemala can avoid lapses in those windows, the table will keep shifting.

By November, this group will look different. The weather will change. The pressure will rise. Legs will tire. But the blueprint is already out. Suriname can grind. Panama can control. El Salvador can take a punch and land one back. Guatemala can still make this tight with a strong response at home. The first whistle of the final phase didn’t give us a favorite; it gave us a race.