By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Yup. The New York Giants eliminated the Green Bay Packers from the playoffs last weekend. Today I was browsing through the most popular videos on YouTube and I ran into this drunken cheese head fan, who blames her sister for (obviously) jinxing the Packers by making her wear sparkles on her nail polish, and for wearing the Clay Mathews jersey instead of the Rodgers jersey. Yeah, that probably did it, that was the difference in the game. This video is hilarious - classic... Especially for Giant's fans.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The New York Giants beat the Green Bay Packers yesterday 37-20 in a tremendous upset. The Giants were a nine point underdog going into this game. During the regular season Green Bay had only lost one game and had the enviable record of 15-1. Meanwhile the Giants just squeaked into the playoffs at 9-7. In the game New York's defense was able to slow down Green Bay enough, and GB's defense showed why they were ranked dead last in the NFL for giving up an average of 411 yards per game. Eli Manning and the NY offense took advantage of those weaknesses on GB's defense. Now the Giants advance to the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49'ers next weekend. I can't wait.

In the rest of the action this weekend, the New England Patriots knocked off Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos (no surprise there). And as predicted the superior defense of the Baltimore Ravens handled the Texans, and the superior defense of the San Francisco 49'ers handled Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. So yeah, a sparkling offense fills the stadium but a solid defense wins championships. Look who's sitting on the sidelines now - Drew Brees, set a record for the regular season with 5,476 passing yards, breaking the mark set by Dan Marino. Done. This year ten quarterbacks threw for more than 4,000 yards - and of those only two are still participating in the playoffs - Eli Manning (NY) and Tom Brady (NE). While on the other side of the ball, the 3rd rated defense of the Baltimore Ravens will face Brady in the AFC Championship game, and the 49ers 4th rated defense will face Manning in the NFC Championship game. So, out of 32 teams in the league, only four are still playing. After next weekend the participants in Super Bowl XLVI will be set. I'm thrilled the New York Giants are still in the hunt. My heartfelt condolences to all you cheese heads out there, especially my good friend Brett, who will probably need some therapy and professional help to overcome yesterday's loss. I can't believe the Giants won, and neither can he. In case you missed it...

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Tim Tebow's performance last week was the talk of NFL football fans around the world. This afternoon the New Orleans Saints travel to face the San Francisco 49'ers and later tonight Tebow and the Denver Broncos play against the Patriots in New England. Tomorrow's early game at 1:00 pm has the Houston Texans in Baltimore against the Ravens, and then at 4:30 pm my beloved NY Giants play the Packers in Green Bay. My predictions (for what it's worth) - I think the 49'ers, Patriots, Ravens, and Giants will win this weekend. Then next week the Giant's bump off the 49'ers and go on to face the Ravens in the Super Bowl, where they of course win. Those are my "emotional" predictions because I want the Giants to win the SB. In reality (for the money) I think the home teams will will throughout the playoffs. Hey, don't like my predictions? Feel free to make your own in the comments section below. Meanwhile, check out this video - a spoof on Tim Tebow (hilarious). If you want to find me, I'll probably be at the Superbook slugging beer and munching chicken wings. Hey, forget the football - those BBQ honey chicken wings are the best in town, really. If the Giants lose tomorrow, I won't want to talk about football anymore...

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

(Soccer by Ives) FC Dallas has emerged from its offseason slumber in a big way. The club signed Panama striker Blas Perez and young Colombian defender Hernan Pertuz on Tuesday, addressing two areas of need with international-caliber talent. Neither deal was classified as a Designated Player signing according to a team release. For a team that really lacked a consistent presence at forward all of last season, FC Dallas now has a go-to option in Perez, a proven goal scorer who has been one of the more dangerous strikers in CONCACAF for years. The well-traveled, 31-year-old forward finally takes his game to the United States after career stops in Mexico, Spain, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Panama.

   

By Marcelino Castillo, notifight.com - World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Celestino "Pelenchín" Caballero arrived back home to Panama and received a hero's welcome. The boxer fought last Saturday night at the Bunka Gym in Yokohama, Japan and won a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over hometown here Satoshi Hosono. Caballero arrived with his wife Griselda, doctor Ronyel Rudas and his constant companion Miguel Callist. They were greeted by family, friends, fans and the media, as everyone gathered at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.

   

The Panamanian national men's soccer team rose from position 51 to 49 to be among the best 50 soccer teams in the world, according to new rankings released Wednesday by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Football Association) (FIFA). Panama stands out against countries such as Tunisia (59), Honduras (53) and South Africa (52). The highest ranked team is the world champion Spain. They are followed by the Netherlands (2), Germany (3), Uruguay (4), England (5), Brazil (6), Portugal (7), Croatia (8), Italy (9) and Argentina (10). At the regional level Panama's national soccer team is fourth on among the other CONCACAF teams, behind Mexico, USA and Jamaica, and above Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Is this the highest Panama has ever been ranked? In my fuzzy memory it always seemed like Panama was ranked in the 70's somewhere.    

AUSTRALIAN Vic Darchinyan will fight Panama's champion Anselmo Moreno on Sunday (AEDT) for the World Boxing Association bantamweight title in California in a bout that could be a watershed moment for the 35-year-old. Darchinyan, after accumulating a stash of world-title belts in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, has stumbled twice after stepping up to the heavier bantamweight division. He lost to Ghana's Joseph King Kong Agbeko in 2009 and in a controversial split decision against Mexican-born Abner Mares in 2010. Agbeko and Mares will fight in Sunday's main event at the Honda Center.

Moreno is just 26 and is a defensive fortress, losing just one fight (a split decision in a four round contest when he was 17-years-old). Moreno's 31 wins came with just 11 knockouts, a vanilla record compared to Darchinyan's lethal 27 knockouts in 37 wins. ``He's scared to get hit,'' Darchinyan said. ``I'll jump on him and pressure him like no one he's ever fought before and I'm going to try and knock him out in the first round.''

Moreno says ring intelligence, not brawn will conquer Darchinyan. ``I'm looking forward to showing my intelligence and style of boxing,'' Moreno responded.

It is brawn that Darchinyan, who grew up wrestling in his native Armenia under the tutelage of his father, an Olympic wrestling coach, will also take to the MMA cage next year. It is something Shaw is looking forward to. ``Vic will be a riot in the MMA,'' Gary Shaw, Darchinyan's promoter, said.

Shaw joked that he may have troubled holding onto the increasingly popular fighter - with Darchinyan posing for photos with Don King, the cigar sucking veteran promoter with vertical grey hair, and Oscar De La Hoya, the former world champion boxer with Hollywood looks who has become one of the sport's top promoters. ``Oh OK. I see. You're trying to steal my fighter,'' the silver-haired Shaw said in his Jersey accent. Darchinyan smiled. So did King and De La Hoya. Shaw also broke into a grin, although in the cut-throat world of boxing promotion, stealing fighters is as common as left hooks in the ring. Of course, Shaw's dig was in jest. If there is one relationship in the boxing world that is built on respect it is the one that Darchinyan and Shaw have. They don't have contracts and it works. Darchinyan has similar arrangements with his trusted inner-circle. ``He's my good friend, and I mean friend,'' Shaw says. ``We have dealt on handshakes for years and years.''   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Second Latin American Baseball Festival - The Game of the MLB Stars-Andruw Jones All Stars, Presented by 30Treinta will be held tomorrow, Saturday, 3 December 2011. The "show" game will start at 6:00 pm at the Rod Carew National Stadium. Tickets for sale at TicketPlus, farmacias Metro, Hometek. Ticket prices: $5, $15, $25, and $75. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, CC Sabathia, Curtis Granderson, Rafael Soriana, Ozzie Guillen, and Jorge Posada will participate.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Yesterday the Panamanian Men's national soccer team tied Costa Rica 1-1. With this result, Panama advances to the CONCACAF pre-Olympic tournament to be played in the United States in April 2012, and Costa Rica is eliminated. Panama beat Costa Rica 2-1 in the first game the two teams played on 26 October 2011. This is the second time Panama has eliminated Costa Rica from the pre-Olympic qualifications. Based on the results of the pre-qualification tournament to be played in the United States in April, only two teams will advance to the Olympics in London 2012. And, only 16 teams from around the world will qualify play soccer in the 2012 Olympics. By comparison, 32 teams qualify to play in the FIFA World Cup, so it's much harder to qualify for the Olympics. Panama is in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF), which includes all teams from North America including the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as well as everyone from Central America and the Caribbean.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The 2011 Baseball World Cup being played in Panama is winding down today, and some of the final results are in. The game scheduled for this afternoon between the United States and Canada - teams currently tied for third place, to determine the Bronze Medal and 4th place finishers - was cancelled due to rain. Later today the Netherlands will play Cuba for the Gold and Silver medals. Among the rest of the field, finishing in:

• 5th - Australia
• 6th - South Korea
• 7th - Venezuela
• 8th - Panama
• 9th - Dominican Republic
• 10th - Puerto Rico
• 11th - Italy
• 12th - Japan
• 13th - Chinese Taipei
• 14th - Nicaragua
• 15th - Germany
• 16th - Greece

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - In a WBA-mandated rematch, Celestino Caballero (35-4, 23 KOs) of Panama won the WBA featherweight championship by way of unanimous decision over now former champion Jonathan Victor Barros (33-2-1, 18 KOs) on Friday night at the famous Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Caballero erased all controversy from the first fight that he lost by split decision and completely dominated this fight from beginning to end. Caballero almost was able to get Barros out of there in round 11 but Barros survived the round. The official scores were 116-111, 118-111, 116-112 all in favor of Caballero, who previously was a unified champion at 122. (fightnews.com)

Editor's Comment: I watched this fight last night, and the Panamanian Caballero was clearly the better fighter. Right now Panama has three reigning world boxing champions. Guillermo Jones is the current WBA Cruiserweight, Junior heavyweight (200 lb, 90.7 kg) Champion. After last night's fight - Celestino Caballero is now the WBA Featherweight (126 lb, 57.2 kg) Champion. Finally, Anselmo Moreno is the WBA "Super champion in recess" of the Bantamweight (118 lb, 53.5 kg) class. He recently signed a four fight deal, so he's going to be coming out of recess, apparently. They take their boxing very seriously here in Panama, and the fact that Celestino Caballero was able to take his belt back from Barros in his home turf in Buenos Aires, Argentina is important.   

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Panama Men's National Soccer team beat Nicaragua 5-1 last night at the Rommel Fernández stadium in Panama City. With this win Panama now has three victories and nine points with only one game remaining, securing their advancement to the third round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Panama was the first of the 24 teams competing in the second round of qualifying to guarantee their spot in the third round. Only six will advance and eighteen will be eliminated, and now for sure Nicaragua and Dominica are, while Panama advances. A total of twelve teams will participate in the third round - the six who survived the second round, and the six teams granted byes thanks to their world rankings (USA, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Cuba.) Panama has only one game remaining in the second round, at home against Dominica on 15 November 2011.

Panamanian Luis Tejada (C) shoots to score against Nicaragua during their Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup Concacaf qualifiers match held at the Rommel Fernandez stadium in Panama City on October 11, 2011. AFP Photo/Rodrigo ARANGUA.

On To The Third Round: The third round games will be played from 8 June to 16 October 2012. Panama will be in Group C with Cuba, Honduras, and probably Canada (yet to be defined.) This works out to be an excellent scenario for Panama, because they dodge having to play the higher ranked teams in the third round: the United States (19), Mexico (27), Jamaica (48), and Costa Rica (53). Instead, thanks to the luck of the draw, Panama (68) was grouped with Honduras (38 - the weakest "pot 1" team), Cuba (64 - the weakest "pot 2" team), and probably Canada (84). So, in the third round Panama will play against these three teams, one home game and one away. The winner and runner up from each group will advance to the fourth round, while the third and fourth place teams from each group will be eliminated. And clearly, Panama can beat any of the teams in their Group, both at home and on the road.

About Last Night's Game: It was a straight-out butt whipping. Most of the Panamanian players are these big, tall, fast, and strong black guys with lots of speed and skills. The Nicaraguan players were these short little Indian dudes, and it really wasn't much of a match from the start. I'm not being racist here - when you look at the photos from the game, the tops of the heads of the Nicaraguan players come to about the middle of the chests of the Panamanian players. That matters (a lot) when you're leaping into the air to head a corner kick into the back of the net. Panama cashed in on every mistake and bad pass the Nicaraguans made. The entire game was played in front of the Nicaraguan goal. At the very end of the game Nicaragua managed to "steal" one goal, because in fact by then the Panamanian team had let down their guard and they were actually still celebrating the 5th goal they had just scored. It was a totally and completely lop-sided match - not much of a contest at all. And it should have been 6-1, if Panama had not blown an early penalty kick. The Panamanian team looked very good - or maybe they just looked good because their opponents sucked. Either way, it was another mark in the "win" column and they punched their ticket to advance. If Panama does end up qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup - then that will be a first. Panama has never been to the "big dance" and this time around might be their turn. Without a doubt after last night, they are pumped up and ready to keep going.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Someone asked how to get to the Rod Carew baseball stadium from the Bridge of the Americas. Well, first of all, it would be a whole lot easier to just use the Centennial Bridge - because you have to go right past the stadium on your way into the city. However, if you insist on using the Bridge of the Americas - after you cross the bridge follow signs for the Northern Corridor. I think that as soon as you get on the Panama City side of the bridge the easiest way is to get off at the very first exit and then follow that road through the Balboa area. Turn left at the YMCA and then go straight. When you reach the entrance to the Panama Ports harbor, turn right at that light. Straight ahead about 500 meters or so, and take the bridge up once you pass the McDonald's on your left. Now you're on the Northern Corridor. Follow that all the way until you see signs for Cerro Patacon or the Centennial Bridge. Take the clover leaf (exiting the Northern Corridor) and head out towards Cerro Patacon, leaving the city. About another 500 meters or so and the stadium is on your right. But really, it's about 1000 times easier to just come into the city using the Centennial Bridge, and you will run right into it, on your left. Good luck.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The United States handed Panama their second defeat this afternoon, beating them 5-0 at the Rod Carew stadium in Panama City. With this win the United States advances to the second round in fourth place. Canada, the Netherlands and Panama advance as well, while Puerto Rico, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Greece were all eliminated. In Group 2 Cuba, Venezuela, South Korea, and Australia all advance to the second round, while the Dominican Republic, Italy, Nicaragua, and Germany are all eliminated. The second round games will be played this week, and the final is scheduled for Saturday, 15 October 2011 at the Rod Carew stadium in Panama City.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Tonight's game between Panama and the United States promises to be one of the highlights of the 2011 Baseball World Cup, the 39th meeting of the International Baseball Federation. Right now Panama is one of the last two undefeated teams in Group A. They've already won five games; beating Greece (8-3), Chinese Taipei (14-8), Puerto Rico (4-2), Japan (6-2), and Canada (12-3). The United States has three wins; beating Chinese Taipei (15-1), Japan (7-3), and Greece (3-0), but they also lost to Puerto Rico (4-8), and the Netherlands (5-7). With this game being played on a Saturday night, no doubt the stadium will be packed. The game will be played at the Rod Carew stadium in Panama City, with a game start time of 7:30 pm. Tickets are cheap - like $5 bucks or something. To get to the stadium, take the Northern Corridor and then turn towards "Cerro Patacon" and the road that leads to the Centennial Bridge. The stadium is located just over the hill after you leave the Norther Corridor. Expect traffic jams and tight parking at the stadium, but just go with the flow and follow everyone else, and you should not have a problem. You might want to get out there relatively early, to park, get your seats, etc. Panamanians are never early for anything, so you can avoid most of the craziness by just being a little early. There will be excellent security inside the stadium, but you might not want to leave any valuables in the car. Anyway, enjoy the game. I might put together a group of dudes and head over there. Sounds like fun. Panama has a lot of "national pride" riding on this game. They most certainly don't want to lose their "undefeated" status to the United States team. They'll be pumped up for this one.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Canada crushed St Lucia 7-0 in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on Friday while Panama and Haiti also had big wins. Norwich City's Simeon Jackson helped himself to a first-half a hat-trick in Canada's rout while Olivier Occean and Iain Hume added a double each. Canada top Group D with three wins in three games. Haiti sit atop Group F after their 7-0 victory over the US Virgin Islands. Mourice Geen netted a hat-trick as Haiti went on to score five times in the second half.

Panama won in similarly comfortable fashion, beating Dominica 5-0, with Amir White getting on the scoresheet twice for the visitors.

El Salvador stayed top of Group A with Mark Blanco's 66th-minute strike enough to earn them a 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic. Suriname beat the Cayman Islands 1-0 in the group's other fixture. Guyana netted two goals late on to surprise Barbados 2-0 away from home with Chris Nurse's 87th-minute goal making sure of the points. They top Group B ahead of Trinidad and Tobago who surrendered their perfect record with a 2-1 loss at Bermuda.

Puerto Rico and St Kitts and Nevis drew 1-1 in other Group D action, and Guatemala were comfortable 3-0 winners away to St Vincent and Grenadines. Mario Rodiguez scored twice for Guatemala. Belize were 4-1 losers at home to Grenada and Antigua, while Barbuda rounded out the results with a 1-0 win away to Curacao - Tamarley Thomas' 74th-minute goal was the difference between the two sides. (soccerway.com)

Editor's Comment: Panama now has two wins and six points in Group C, having defeated both Nicaragua and Dominica on the road. Their next game is on Tuesday, 11 October 2011, against Nicaragua at home here in Panama City. Their final second round game will be at home against Dominica on 15 November 2011. So, two wins, two more games, and on to the third round of qualifying. Only the six winners of each group in the second round will advance to the third round - all others are eliminated.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - If you're a fan of the FIFA World Cup then you probably know the Republic of Panama is on the dubious list of teams that have has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. This time around, they hope to change that. Panama has been trying to get into the World Cup since 1978 and the national team has participated in the qualification and elimination tournaments eight times, without success. You might want to start paying attention to Panama's soccer schedule this month.

A First Round Bye: Thanks to their international FIFA ranking, Panama was granted a bye in the first round. Ten teams participated in the first round: Belize, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, Aruba, U.S. Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Montserrat. Of those, Belize, the Dominican Republic, US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, and the Bahamas survived, while Montserrat, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Aruba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands were eliminated. The first round served to reduce the total field from 35 to 30. And then later, after surviving the first round, the Bahamas dropped out.

Panama Playing in Second Round: So far Panama has only played one game in the second round of qualifying. On 6 September 2011 Panama beat Nicaragua on the road, 2-1 - giving them one win and three points in head to head competition. Today the Panama men's national team is in Dominica, playing a game that starts at 6:00 pm EST (or 5:00 pm here in Panama). This is the second game Panama is playing as part of the second round of qualifying within the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). After today's game, next week on Tuesday, 11 October 2011, Nicaragua travels to Panama to play in the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez stadium in Panama City. After these two games Panama will have only one more game to play in the second round, against Dominica at home (here in Panama) on 15 November 2011. There are only three teams in Group C with Panama because the Bahamas withdrew from the competition on 19 August 2011, and they were not replaced.

24 Teams Playing, Six Waiting With Bye's: There are 24 teams playing in this second round of eliminations.

• Group A - El Salvador, Suriname, the Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands
• Group B - Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Barbados
• Group C - Nicaragua, Panama, Dominica
• Group D - Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia
• Group E - Guatemala, Belize, St. Vincent / Grenadines, Grenada
• Group F - Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti, Curaçao, US Virgin Islands.

Do or Die: Of these 24 teams, only six will advance to the third round. There are six groups, and only the winners of each group advances. So, in order to survive, Panama has to win Group C in the second round. If Panama beats the tiny Caribbean island nation of Dominica today in their first head to head match, and then beats Nicaragua again next Tuesday, they will have nine points and be leading Group C undefeated. Both Panama and Nicaragua avoided having to play in the first round, but Dominica made it through the first round by defeating Anguilla, 2-0 and 6-0.

This Is How You Do It: Panama has never been to the FIFA World Cup, and these qualification tournaments are how they can get there. In 2008, for example, Panama beat El Salvador at home 1-0, but then lost on the road 1-3, and was eliminated in the second round, thus ending the dream of participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Panama came close when trying to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Panama made it all the way to the fourth round, but then got spanked and humiliated. In ten games they were only able to get no wins, two draws, and eight losses, finishing in last place out of six teams, only scoring four goals in ten games, while giving up 21 goals against. The United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica advanced cleanly, while Trinidad and Tobago beat Bahrain, squeaking in to the big dance as the fourth team from the CONCACAF to qualify.

Six Teams Got Bye's To The Third Round: Based on their international FIFA rankings, Jamaica, the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, and Honduras were all given second round bye's and they start directly in the third round. Panama just missed the bye - ranked 68th in the world compared to Cuba at 64. Anyway, these six teams are waiting on the sidelines to see which six teams will survive the second round, to join them in the third.

Looking Good For Third Round: The third round games will be played from 8 June to 16 October 2012. Assuming Panama can win their next two games and virtually assure their advancement to the third round of play, they have a good chance of surviving the third round as well. As the winners of Group C, they would be placed in Group C of the third round together with Cuba, Honduras, and the winner of Group D in the second round, right now being led by Canada with two wins and six points. This means they dodge some of the toughest teams in the CONCACAF - United States and Jamaica (Group A) as well as Mexico and Costa Rica (Group B). Twelve teams will enter the third round, six will be eliminated, and six - the winners of each group and the runners-up, will go to the fourth round. This is usually where Panama gets knocked out. If they can't beat the likes of Cuba, Honduras, and Canada - then they really don't deserve to be in the FIFA World Cup anyway.

Fourth Round: The fourth round will see the 3 group winners and 3 runners-up from the third round compete in a single group. The top three teams will qualify directly for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, while the fourth-placed team will enter the intercontinental play-offs. Whoever ends up in fourth place after the fourth round will have to play the winner of the Oceania Football Confederation - comprised of teams like New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, and American Samoa.

Anyway, First Things First: It's still very early on the road to qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Panama has to play just four games at this stage, and if they can win three of them for nine points, that will guarantee their advance to the third round. I don't know if you care about the Panamanian national men's soccer team or not, but at least now you will have a primer to understand what's going on, when you hear about these games on the news this week.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - The organizers of the 39th edition of the World Baseball Championship, which begins in Panama on Saturday October 1, said they are in an advanced phase of adjustments and solving some problems to start the event. Edwin Cabrera, president of the Organizing Committee, said logistics aspects - involving transportation, security, hotels, meals, and improvements to the stadium - is ready. He said they are emphasizing awareness among the public not to exceed the available parking capacity for cars in Rod Carew Stadium, in order to avoid traffic congestion. He said they hired the "Mi Bus" company to provide a free shuttle service to the stadium from different points of the capital city. The public can catch the buses at the Albrook Mall, in El Dorado, at the Metro Mall, and the University of Santa Maria La Antigua. He also said the use of the buses is a preventative measure, that will help them be prepared for any possible emergency, and will help keep the roadways as clear as possible. The Baseball World Cup starts on 1 October with the match between Panama and Greece for group A. (Prensa)   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - After three weeks of play in the 2011-12 National Football League (NFL) season, only three teams are still undefeated. Can you name them (no cheating). It's been a very strange season, already. OK, it makes sense that the Green Bay Packers have been able to win their first three games - they're coming off of a Superbowl Win with most of their primary talent intact. So yeah, they've won their first three games. But the other two teams? Two teams that generally suck - the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills - are both undefeated thus far. Last year Detroit went 6-10, tied for last place in the NFC North. And the Bills went 4-12, dead last in the AFC East. There are 32 teams in the NFL, and only three of them have not tasted defeat thus far this season - the other 29 have already lost at least one game. But the Lions and Bills on that undefeated list? Maybe the world is going to end in 2012 afterall...

Five Teams Without A Win: And if that's not strange enough for you take a look at this. Can you name the five teams that have yet to win a game? The Minnesota Vikings went 6-10 last year, so not much of a surprise there. And the Miami Dolphins went 7-9 last year, and they've also been weak lately. But the St. Louis Rams went 7-9 last year, enough for them to tie for first in the relatively weak AFC West. And the two real shockers are the Indianapolis Colts, 10-6 last year, won the AFC South. And the Kansas City Chiefs were 10-6 last year, winning the AFC West. All five of these teams have yet to make a notch in the "win" column.

Anyway, It's A Strange One So Far: I've been going over to the Superbook VIP Sports Lounge to watch the games on Sunday, when I can get a kitchen pass that is. Maybe I'll see you over there one of these days. If you're into it you can bet on the games there. And get this - the New England Patriots gave up 9 points to the Bills last weekend (and lost). Nobody thought the Bills were going to win that game...

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - The team from the Netherlands arrived in Panama on Saturday night to participate in the Baseball World Cup. The Dutch are rivals of Panama in Group A. Both teams will meet on October 9 at the Rod Carew stadium. "I have not seen the roster, but playing in their stadium, in front of their audience, they will be highly motivated and be difficult to overcome. We expect much opposition from the Panamanian team," said the Dutch coach Brian Farley. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: The 2011 Baseball World Cup will be played in Panama from 1 - 15 October 2011. The first round games for Group A will be played at the Rod Carew stadium in Panama City, while the Group B games will be played in while Aguadulce (Coclé), Santiago (Veraguas), and Chitré (Herrera). The opening game will be on Saturday, 1 October 2011, with Panama playing Greece. Then on Sunday at 2:00 pm Canada plays Puerto Rico and at 7:30 pm the United States plays Japan in their first game. Tickets are cheap - like $5 bucks a head. You can buy tickets online here with a credit card, or you can go to Blockbuster and pay either cash or with a credit card. In addition, you can just show up at the stadium and buy tickets there. I doubt any of these early games will be sold out.   

NEW YORK -- It's official: Mariano Rivera stands alone. The Yankees reliever, already considered by most to be the greatest closer of all-time, passed Trevor Hoffman today for the career lead in saves with 602. By closing the door on the Minnesota Twins in the Yankees' 6-4 victory at Yankee Stadium, Rivera also slammed shut any debate about his standing among the game's greatest relief pitchers. Rivera is now into uncharted territory. He hasn't simply passed Hoffman, he's blown by him. By the time Hoffman recorded the last of his 601 saves he was in the midst of decline. At age 41, Rivera remains a dominant force. His 43 saves rank second in the American League to only the Tigers' Jose Valverde. It came after the Yankees handed A.J. Burnett a 5-0 lead behind Curtis Granderson''s two-run homer. But they watched Burnett nearly give it all away. He didn't survive the fifth, but after the Twins cut the deficit to 5-4, the bullpen held the line the rest of the way. Alex Rodriguez knocked in an insurance run in the sixth inning.

And in the bottom of the eighth, the fans let out a large roar when Nick Swisher bounced into a double play, preserving Rivera's chance to make history. Chants of “Let's Go Mo!” filled the Stadium as Rivera worked to reach the milestone that he has called “the big one,” the all-time saves mark.

After Rivera's final pitch -- a cutter that crossed the plate at 93 miles per hour to freeze Chris Parmelee -- he was mobbed by Yankees teammates who hugged and congratulated him. As Rivera walked off the mound, catcher Jorge Posada, behind the plate for so many of Rivera's saves, pushed back onto the mound so the Yankee Stadium fans could show their appreciation with the all-time saves leader.

Rivera admitted that he's been uncomfortable with the attention that has come with his pursuit, which has been marked by talk of his place in history. "It doesn't make me better or worse,” Rivera said. “People are going to say whatever they're going to say. I feel normal. I feel just that I have to do my job.”

For 16 years, nobody has done that job better than Rivera, whose 41 postseason saves are the most of all time. His work in October, combined with his regular season dominance, have made Rivera's case for greatest ever an easy one. “There's no doubt,” teammate Mark Teixeira said. “This list, he deserves to be on top of it. In sports, I can't think of a better guy to play one position. There's arguments. Baseball, there's arguments. Basketball. Jordan, LeBron, whoever. There's arguments. With this one, there's definitely not an argument.”

Perhaps the only question that remains is how far Rivera can push the record. He signed a two-year contract extension before this season and has shown little sign of slowing down. “He will pitch until 50,” said former Yankees catcher Jose Molina. “Because he can.” Teixeira said he doesn't see an end in sight, either. “Mo's not done,” he said. “He's not going to be done until someone pulls that uniform off him.”

As for his own future, Rivera points out only that he's under contract for next season, but makes no pronouncements after that. But no matter his future, with the save No. 602 in his pocket, Rivera is assured that he will go out on top. “I won't say proud. I would say thankful,” Rivera said last week. “I'm thankful to the Lord. I'm thankful to my wife, my kids, my family, the organization, my teammates. That's what I'm thankful for, for where God has put me and for what God has done for my life, and that involves everything. More than proud, I'm thankful.” (Source)   

#Panama TORONTO – Less than an hour had passed since Mariano Rivera arrived at a peak reached previously by just one other man. Yet, last week, when the Yankees closer reached career save No. 600, he didn't seem interested in savoring the view. Sure, 600 was a nice round, number, but Rivera admitted that he had his mind on something much bigger. He already had set his sights on the summit -- career save No. 602 -- the magic mark would make the all-time saves record all his own. He's almost there. After closing out the Yankees' 7-6 victory against the Blue Jays today, Rivera notched career save No. 601, pulling even on the all-time list with the record-holder Trevor Hoffman. The next one will give the record to Rivera and nobody else.

Before the opening game of the series yesterday, Blue Jays manager John Farrell described the thoughts that pass through the mind of an opposing skipper when Rivera enters a game, an experience he lived through today when the bullpen gate swung open in the ninth. “You're hoping you don't break too many bats, and you're hoping you get a chance to put some quality at-bats together,” Farrell said. “You know it's got a chance to be a quick 1-2-3. You know you have you've got hands full every time he walks onto the mound.”

And they did. Leadoff hitter Colby Rasmus fell behind 0-2, rallied in the count, then walked back to the dugout when Rivera froze him on a fastball over the outside corner. Replays showed that home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor might have lent an assist. Rivera then broke Brett Lawrie's bat, his penalty for trying to slap a cutter the other away. Instead, the ball caught the end of the bat, snapping it. Eric Thames made official when he flied out to center.

The historic achievement capped a Yankees comeback. Through five innings, the Yankees trailed 6-1, the result of an abbreviated outing by right-hander Bartolo Colon. The veteran allowed all the runs in just four innings, his shortest outing since July 14, when the Blue Jays didn't let Colon out of the first inning.

But Alex Rodriguez changed the course of the game. Playing in his first game since Sept. 9, when he re-aggravated a sprain in his left thumb, Rodriguez smashed a three-run homer off starter Henderson Alvarez. The homer keyed a four-run outburst in the sixth that brought the Yankees to within a run.

Curtis Granderson put the Yankees ahead for good in the seventh, ending a 12-pitch at-bat by smashing his 40th homer of the season. Until this year, Granderson had never hit more than 30 in a season. He fouled off seven pitches before getting one he could handle from reliever Carlos Villanueva.

With the lead for the first time all day, the Yankees set the stage for their closer. Rookie Hector Noesi followed up two innings of scoreless relief by Scott Proctor and Aaron Laffey with a clean inning of his own, retiring the Jays in order in the seventh. In the eighth, Rafael Soriano followed suit, throwing up a zero to complete the hand-off to Rivera.

Rivera's family hadn't bothered to make the trip to the West Coast to see him reach save No. 600. But with Hoffman's milestone approaching, they made it to Toronto, and watched from the stands as Rivera took one more step toward history.

Once again, Rivera can say that he's recorded more saves (42) than his age (41). He has converted on each of his last 13 chances. For the season, he trails only the Tigers' Jose Valverde (45) for the American League saves lead.

But for his career, Rivera trails no one.

Editor's Comment: The first time Trevor Hoffman's name appeared on this website was on 20 November 2007, now almost four years ago. At that time Mariano Rivera had just signed a new contract for three years worth $45 million dollars with the New York Yankees during the off season. At that time, between seasons, Rivera was third on the all time saves list with 443, behind Trevor Hoffman who had 524 at the time and was still pitching, and retired closer Lee Smith who had 478. Since then I've been following Mariano Rivera's career closely and waiting for this day. That was 158 saves ago, or 158 wins for the New York Yankees, wrapped up in a bow and put nicely in the bag, thanks to that killer cutter. When Mariano finally notches up number 602 and takes over sole possession of first place, he will be doing so at the top of his game. Hoffman barely limped to the 601 total at the end of this career, a shadow of what he once was. In contrast Mariano Rivera keeps mowing them down. And it looks like he's going to be able to tack on a whole lot more. Mariano has set a lot of records but this is the "big one" - the one that's going to stand for a long, long time. When it happens and when he speaks to the press after the game, I hope he remembers to mention Panama and Puerto Caimito, the place where he grew up.   

Mariano Rivera’s 600th career save, only the second pitcher in MLB history to reach that impressive milestone, should have ended with a strikeout. Instead, it was Ichiro caught stealing, after hitting a single off Rivera earlier. After Russell Martin caught Ichiro, it was time for some modest celebrating. No big screams, no big yells, no jumping around too much. At 41, nothing makes you jump around too much. Maybe its the knowledge that saves are a somehwhat overrated stat. Or maybe just the fact that he knows he’s regarded as the greatest closer ever due to his clinical pitching in the playoffs, not the number of Saves he racks up each season (41 so far this season). The foucs is the World Series at the end of the year, don’t be mistaken. Rivera is two saves away from passing Trevor Hoffman and becoming the all-time leader in Saves, but the postseason is what he truly cares about - "I’m not focused on that. I’m not that type of guy. I’m a team player. I tell you guys many times and I’ll continue to tell you, it doesn’t depend on myself. It depends on my teammates giving me the opportunity to be able to pitch."

The Yankees got to win no. 90 with a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, with Robinson Cano hitting a home run (his 26th this season) and 2 RBIs, making it 111 for him this year. Rivera’s achievement was almost delayed. David Robertson got in some trouble with a 2-0 count and a walk, so Mariano came on to finish the job.

Derek Jeter who’s been with him since the start for the Yankees was able to relate, not only because they’ve won so much together and played together for so long. He also had his own big milestone moment this year, reaching the coveted 3000 hit mark. We’ve been close for a long time and I know how important it is for him to come in and do his job. He takes a lot of pride in it. He’s a prideful guy.

Joe Girardi wasn’t shy of giving away some compliments, feeling good after the win - I don’t know if we’ll ever see it again. That’s how much of an accomplishment this is that he and Trevor Hoffman have done. Simply remarkable. This is a guy who I believe is the best closer that’s ever been in the game and I’ve had the fortune of catching him, coaching him and managing him and it’s a treat.

The closest pitcher even remotely close to Rivera among active pitchers is Francisco Cordero, who’s 36, with 322 saves. Like Girardi said, it’ll be a very unlikely occasion to see anyone reach these numbers again.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Yeah, sure, whatever - Panamanian politics, blah blah blah. Second round this, illegal recordings of conversations, fire some dude, this talking head says this..., that talking head thinks that..., whatever. The only really important thing happening today is the kickoff of the 2011-12 National Football League season. At 8:30 pm EST (7:30 pm local Panama time) the Green Bay Packers - winners of Superbowl XLV (Feb 2011) - face off against the New Orleans Saints - winners of Superbowl XLIV (Feb 2010). Green Bay is a 4.5 point favorite, and they are the home team with the game being played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Thankfully since this first game of the season is being played in early September, weather for the game is predicted to be perfect - a balmy 75 degrees, clear, winds NE at 8 mph, humidity: 51%. In other words - like New Orleans in the middle of January. For us football fans, it's been a very long summer. Now it's time for beer, chicken wings, and touchdowns. Life is good. For the record, I'll be at the Superbook watching the game. See you there.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Mariano Rivera watch continues. Last night he picked up his 38th save of the 2011 Major League Baseball season by closing down the Baltimore Orioles in the 9th to secure the 11-10 win for the New York Yankees. Mariano now has 597 career saves, which means he needs just four more to tie Trevor Hoffman at 601, and then one more to pass him and take over sole possession of the record for most saves in a career. Still in all, last night was a relatively unusual outing for Rivera. The bottom of the ninth started out with Wieters popping out to second (that's normal.) Then Reynolds singled to center. It's actually pretty normal for Mariano to give up a hit, usually no big deal. Then Andino flied out to right for the second out. Reynolds stole second, and when the next batter Adams singled to shallow center, M. Reynolds scored. Again, no big deal because the Yankees were up by two, so after giving up one run they still had the lead. Baltimore started to smell blood, so they put Reimold in to pinch hit for Hudson, and Angle to run for Adams. When Angle stole second, Mariano hit Reimold with a pitch. Then there was a double steal, with Angle stealing third and Reimold stealing second. But no worries, because J.J. Hardy struck out swinging. A normal ending to a relatively "weird" outing for Mariano Rivera. The strange part was when he hit the batter. Through 2010 he only averages 2.68 "hit by pitch" in the entire season. Anyway, what matters is one more "save" on the scoreboard, and every save for Mariano means a "win" for the Yankees. He should set the record this season.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Mariano Rivera, the famous Panamanian closing pitcher for the New York Yankees racked up four saves in quick succession in recent days. He appeared on 29 August against Baltimore, on 30 August and 1 September against Boston, and on 2 September against Toronto. In those four games he gave up a total of two hits and two walks, got five strikeouts, allowed no runs, and did what he always does - shut down the last batting opportunities for the opposition to secure the win for the Yankees. Mariano now has 596 total saves in his career. He now needs just five more to reach and tie Trevor Hoffman at 601. Hoffman is currently the record holder, and he retired at the end of last season. Chances are very good that Mariano Rivera will first reach Hoffman, and then pass him to take the record, before the end of this season. What's more, there's no signs of any kind of a falloff in Rivera's performance. He might have two or three more seasons in that amazing arm of his. Which means hundreds more broken bats, strikeouts, and wins for the New York Yankees. Stay tuned, and don't miss it when this most famous of Panamanians makes history. It is a record that will stand for a very, very long time.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Mariano Rivera, the star closing pitcher for the New York Yankees, picked up his 34th save of the 2011 Major League Baseball season in the 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. With this save Rivera now has a total of 593 career saves, meaning he needs just eight more saves to tie Trevor Hoffman who retired after last season with 601 career saves, the most of any pitcher in history. There are 29 more games remaining on the Yankee's regular season schedule at this point. Rivera has been averaging one save for every 3.88 games this season - meaning that if he stays on pace Rivera could get another seven or eight saves before the end of the regular season. If the Yankees make the playoffs then he will get a few more, so there's a very good chance he will hit the 602 mark sometime this season. It's just another record for the man who already holds 17 regular season records, 13 post season records, two All Star records, and six team records. However, this is the "big one" - most career saves. When he reaches 602 Mariano Rivera will just be cementing what many already know, that he's the best closer of all time.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - That's a pretty cool take on the soccer game this afternoon. Panama (representing the Panama Canal) will play Egypt (representing the Suez Canal) in the second game for both teams in the group round of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia. The "clash of the canals" starts this afternoon at 5:00 pm. Both teams need a win if they expect to survive the groups stage. So far all four teams have one point each - two ties.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

After earning a solid point in their respective opening matches against Brazil and Austria, Egypt and Panama square off in search of an all-important first victory that would propel them into an advantageous position in Group E. The match, to be played in Barranquilla, could go a long way to deciding which teams will qualify from the section.

The game - Egypt-Panama, Barranquilla, Monday 1 August, 17.00 (local time).

The stakes - The Africans come into this match off the back of a highly creditable and well-deserved 1-1 draw with Brazil, an encounter the Egyptians could possibly have won, had it not been for the profligacy exhibited by their misfiring forwards. The result versus A Seleçãozinha will have nevertheless provided a major morale boost to the Pharaohs, who are keen to repeat the performance their team put in the last time the FIFA U-20 World Cup was held on South American soil: third place at Argentina 2001. Egypt will have Ahmed Elshenawi available again, after the goalkeeper was stretchered off in the final minutes of the opening game.

Panama, meanwhile, whose only previous meeting with an African team at the competition – against Burkina Faso in 2003 – ended in defeat, will also be heartened by their 0-0 stalemate with Austria, a result which proved that the Central Americans can hold their own at the event. Coach Alfredo Poyatos has stated that he is likely to offer Gabriel Avila his first start in the tournament, although he did not reveal who would drop to the bench to accommodate the forward.

The stat - 18 – The birthday that Egypt midfielder Saleh Gomaa will be celebrating on the day of the match. Will it spur him on to provide his team-mates with an additional reason to celebrate?

The words - Luis Mejia, Panama goalkeeper: “Egypt won’t give us anything; they already demonstrated their strengths against Brazil. We’ll need to prepare in the best possible manner, and aim to repeat the good things we showed in the Austria game, as well as cut out the bad things. It’s all or nothing.”

El Sayed Diaa, Egypt coach:.“The Brazil match is in the past, and we now need to focus on Panama. I think this game will be even harder, because no team’s going to underestimate us from this point on.”   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Today at 5:30 pm local, Panama will play Austria in their opening match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2011. With Brazil, one of the tournament favourites, for company in Group E, both sides will be treating their curtain-raiser as a must-win affair. The game will be played today in Cartagena, Colombia.

The stakes: Defeat in their opener would make reaching the Round of 16 an uphill challenge for either of these teams. The Austrians will be favourites for victory, a circumstance of their impressive showing at the same tournament four years ago, when they reached the semi-finals, and the fact that they pipped the Netherlands to a berth in Colombia. Key to them achieving that could be the performance of Hertha Berlin striker Marco Djuricin. The Panamanians, for their part, will entrust Cecilio Waterman, arguably the star of their qualification, with getting them off to a successful start.

The stat - 0 : The number of victories Panama have registered in nine attempts at the FIFA U-20 World Cup (eight losses, one draw). Seventeen teams have participated in but failed to win a game at the tournament, but none more than La Marea Roja, who are followed on the list by Uzbekistan and Trinidad and Tobago (zero victories from six games apiece).

The words: “We already anticipated adapting to the climatic conditions, because it's the key for success or failure. With the intense heat and extreme humidity, it's not easy to get acclimatised, but we will make a success of it,” Andreas Heraf, Austria coach. “This is a very committed team that can make history and knows what it wants. Everyone will see that in Colombia,” Luis Mejia, Panama goalkeeper. (FIFA)

The World Stops in Panama Today: It's Friday night, a payday weekend, and this is a big game for Panama. You can expect everyone to go home early to put the beer on ice and get to get the tube warmed up to watch this game. Besides Panama, Austria, and Brazil, Egypt is the other team in Group E. The teams that qualified are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Guatemala, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Mali, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay. Notice that the United States and Canada did not qualify.