USA vs. Panama: World Cup 2018 Qualifying Live Stream, Preview

The United States will continue their bid to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday as they travel to Panama in the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF.

The visitors grabbed a much-needed win over Honduras in their last outing on Friday and sit in fourth place. A win over Panama would put the Stars and Stripes in one of the three automatic qualifying positions.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming fixture. 

Date: Tuesday, March 28

Time: 10 p.m. ET/3 a.m. BST (Wednesday)

Venue: Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City

Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, fubo.tv

Preview

After back-to-back defeats to start the Hexagonal, the Stars and Stripes finally got their bid to qualify for the World Cup on track with a 6-0 trashing of Honduras.

As shared by former USA international Alexi Lalas, the win represented far more than three points:

It was the first competitive match under new manager Bruce Arena, who replaced Jurgen Klinsmann following the two defeats to start the round. While the team had found some success in friendlies, the win over Honduras meant so much more.

The returning Clint Dempsey was the big story, scoring a hat-trick to guide the team to the win.

Per U.S. Soccer, he reacted to his incredible showing in a short video:

On the same matchday, Trinidad and Tobago also grabbed their first win, leaving Panama just a point ahead of them and Honduras. The match in Panama City could have major consequences as a result―a win would give the Stars and Stripes a tremendous advantage heading forward.

Per Steven Goff of the Washington Post, the USA will be without four players who made the squad for the Honduras match, including two starters: Sebastian Lletget and John Brooks, who have both returned to their clubs with either injury or illness.

Paul Arriola has joined the team, while Jermaine Jones is eligible and likely to play upon his return from suspension. Alejandro Bedoya replaced Lletget on Friday and is in line for the start on Tuesday.

Shaun Clark/Getty Images

Panama generally play their best football at home and held Mexico to a draw in November, and they just lost out on the Copa Centroamericana title to Honduras in January.

The squad lacks big stars, and some of their best players ply their trade in Major League Soccer, including Seattle Sounders defender Roman Torres.

On paper, an American team led by the likes of Dempsey and Christian Pulisic should beat the hosts comfortably―particularly given their momentum after the win over Honduras. International football is rarely that simple, however.

The Stars and Stripes were efficient in front of goal on Friday, and if the side can finish at a similar clip, another win should follow. But even a draw would be a good result with an eye on the rest of the Hexagonal.