After a stunning goal that sent Panama past the United States 1-0 in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal, Cecilio Waterman had an equally memorable celebration. He went right up to Thierry Henry on the Paramount+ set behind the goal.
Now, here’s a closer look at the winning goal and the celebration.
Waterman, who plays for Chilean club Coquimbo Unido, headed straight for the French legend and shared a message. Initially, it looked like a tense interaction. However, after the match, Henry revealed that Waterman told him he was his ‘idol’ growing up and felt compelled to approach him after scoring.
Waterman later gifted Henry his jersey, and Henry promised to send Waterman one of his Arsenal jerseys in return, in a truly heartwarming exchange.
It was an amazing goal, Panama’s only shot on target in the entire match, and a fantastic strike. It also marked Waterman’s first goal against the USMNT in his second game against them. Panama has now defeated the United States three times in a row in major tournaments.
Panama, currently ranked 36th in the FIFA world rankings, will face the winner of the Mexico-Canada match in the final. This will be the first time a team other than the USMNT wins the competition.
