Godoy and Carrasquilla test the Panamanian seal of MLS in Concacaf
The stage
The Concacaf Champions Cup It does not wait for processes: it demands them, this will be the first real filter of the year.
There appears the debut of Aníbal Godoy’s San Diego FC against Pumas UNAM in the First Round, in a context that goes far beyond a simple debut.
It is the first game of the year, just months before the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, before the start of the 2026 MLS season, on February 21.
It is also a proof of identity for the second year of the Californian team after its first season marking the history of expansion teams.
It is the first Concacaf championship, and the first major test outside the MLS ecosystem, and Leagues Cup.
And in that debut the weight of the Panamanian players who face each other inevitably appears, and in addition to being the duo of midfielders of the Canal team, they have an Emelesero stamp.
Aníbal Godoy, dual leader
Before this first test, Godoy was already in maximum peak mode: he was part of the SD that shone in 2025 and, at 35 years old, he sealed his second ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
A leader molded in MLS, during his time with the San José Earthquakes, Nashville SC and for a year in California.
He is a Panamanian reference who found room for maturation and leadership in the league, at the same time that he trained to be the historical captain of Panama and one of the most constant midfielders of the National Team.
This path taken is not accidental. Thanks to Godoy, the MLS gave Panama something key: rhythm, consistency and competitive leadership.
Godoy vs Carrasquilla
On the side of Pumas UNAM appears Adalberto ‘Coco’ Carrasquilla, another reference for the Panamanian team.
His story also began in MLS. In Houston Dynamo he found continuity, context and competitive friction, along with Héctor Herrera. There he exploded, and lifted the US Open Cup with the Texan club.
So much so that he won the footballer of the year in Concacaf 2023/24, and was key for Panama in the 2023 Gold Cup, which gave him the MVP of the contest.
The league formed him, and from there he made the leap to become one of the “beasts” of the midfield in Liga MX and continue to be the creative engine of Panama.
High level: Coco Carrasquilla was chosen as the Player of the Year in Concacaf
That is why this crossing does not seem very coincidental, considering the few months until the team opens against Ghana in Toronto.
Carrasquilla from Pumas, Godoy from San Diego. Two starting midfielders from Panama, facing each other in the first phase of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
A duel that functions as a real rehearsal of the Panamanian process: the MLS as a seedbed, the continental competition as an exam.
The seedbed
This duel does not come from nowhere. Panama has been building a sustained base of soccer players who find in the MLS a space to compete, grow and stay current.
The league became a functional hotbed for teams from the region. Panama understood it before many: the league as a key stage of the process.
Next stop
Panama does not depend on a spontaneous narrative or isolated appearances.
What we see today is a process that is built week by week, under real demands, with footballers trained in competitive and sustained contexts.
The Concacaf Champions Cup is the first big test of the year for that model, before the 2026 World Cup.
An early filter, without room for rehearsal, where the Panamanian hotbed—based on the MLS—is measured in continental competition face to face.
Godoy and Carrasquilla do not advance conclusions: they put the process to the test. And what happens in this scenario begins to mark the path along which Panamanian soccer can advance in 2026. From Panama City, Canalero coach Thomas Christiansen will take note in this first test in World Cup spirit for two of his most useful players.
