Argentina vs. Panama: 2016 Copa America Date, Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream
Argentina and Panama will collide on Friday evening at Soldier Field in Chicago as both teams look to continue their unbeaten starts to the 2016 Copa America campaign in Group D.
La Albiceleste defeated Chile 2-1 on Monday in what was considered by many as their most difficult group clash, while Panama beat Bolivia by an identical scoreline to claim victory in the nation's maiden Copa America outing.
The two sides currently sit atop Group D as joint-leaders, but each side will be hoping to pull clear of the pack with an unblemished record intact as they seek a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament.
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Read on for all the necessary viewing information ahead of Friday's tie, complete with the fixture schedule and a preview of the match's biggest headlines.
Date: Friday, June 10
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/2:30 a.m. BST (Sat., June 11)
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago
TV Info: Fox (U.S.), Premier Sports (UK)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.), FuboTV (Global)
Messi Return Bodes Badly for Panama
After sitting out Argentina's Copa America opener through injury, reports have suggested captain Lionel Messi will make his tournament debut in the group meeting against Panama this Friday.
According to ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle, manager Gerardo Martino indicated his attacker would be fit to feature by then, and Messi himself was never far from the action after celebrating the win against Chile via his official Facebook account:
Argentina always seemed like heavy favourites to top Group D, but ESPN Stats & Info's Paul Carr provided further evidence to suggest Martino's men are in the driving seat after getting off to a winning start:
Angel Di Maria and Ever Banega were on target for La Albiceleste in their victory over Chile, but Messi's return would provide a welcome boost in attack and undoubtedly improve their chances of Copa success.
Panama's win over Bolivia may have given them confidence they could achieve something against the odds in the United States, but a Messi return will only lessen their chances that much more.
Panama Out to Prove Their Mettle
While the competition debut win over Bolivia assuredly had a morale-boosting effect on Panama, the real test now comes in proving they're no one-trick ponies—and against terrifying opposition, no less.
It was a Blas Perez brace that saw manager Hernan Gomez's side overcome Bolivia, and despite celebrating his 35th birthday this year, the veteran showed no lasting signs of age when powering to the game's opener:
Perez's impact was consistent over the course of the game, as his two strikes came 76 minutes apart, and Major League Soccer profiled the Vancouver Whitecaps forward and what's to come from him:
Compared with the other squads at the Copa America, Panama are an underdog in every regard; they don't have one player plying his trade in Europe, and 11 of the 23 players are 30 years old or more.
That being said, they shoulder none of the pressure heading into Friday's duel. Instead, that rests solely with favourites Argentina, and the question now is how Martino's men handle the burden.
