2 hours in traffic: Christiansen concedes trip to Bengaluru, logistics affected Panama vs India

Panama coach Thomas Christiansen didn’t want to call it an apology, but after seeing his team relinquish the lead.settle for a 1-1 draw against India in Bengaluru, he had little hesitation in pointing out the circumstances surrounding the team’s preparation.

Speaking at the post-match press conference at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Christiansen said Panama did not have enough time to train together due to travel and logistics, while the team’s journey to the stadium on the day of the match took about two hours in Bengaluru traffic. He also took responsibility for the result, with five players starting for the senior national team for the first time as Panama embarks on a generational change.

“Generation change is not easy. Five players started today for the first time. The result is my fault. We didn’t have time to work, train, because of travel and logistics. But I’m glad they start with five debutants. We have to learn from this experience.”

“I don’t want to sound like an excuse, but it’s not easy to be on a bus for two hours in traffic to get to the stadium. Also, the logistics and travel here were complicated. We have to be smarter when we re-sign these contracts. I don’t want to sound like an excuse, but we have to be careful how we handle things on and off the pitch because our players deserve better.”

The five debutants were Marcos De Leon, Jair Modelo, Joseph Jones, Daivis Murillo and Mijahir Jimenez. Panama also brought considerable World Cup experience to Bengaluru, with 14 players from their 2026 World Cup squad included in the squad for the friendly against India, although the side Christiansen fielded was apparently the one used to start the next phase.

Panama were based at the Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel while their training sessions were held at the Center for Sports Excellence Phase 3 in Bettahalasur, North Bengaluru. Their last preseason game was on September 24th, so the team had already made the trip across town and back before game day. Panama’s players warm up ahead of their friendly match against India in Bengaluru. (Image: X/@fepafut)

Getting to Kanteerava on September 25 was a much shorter journey on paper. The hotel is only about 3-4 km from the stadium, but Bengaluru has a way of doing some mileage feel like a much bigger enterprise. Christiansen said his players spent about two hours on the bus when they got to the stadium, turning what should have been a straightforward game-day commute into a sizable chunk of their afternoon.

For a team that had only limited time together, five players making their first starts and a new side still finding its rhythm, those hours mattered to Christiansen. He was careful not to pin the 1-1 draw entirely on the road, but meant to say that logistics took up time and energy that Panama would rather have spent preparing for India.

HOW INDIA PUSHED PANAMA BACK

Logistics were only part of Christiansen’s explanation, however, and the match itself gave him plenty to think about. India were not the only beneficiaries of a Panamanian side that arrived underprepared. There were periods when the Blue Tigers controlled the game, pushed the visitors into mistakes and, especially before half-time, looked more convincing.

Ryan Williams finally put India ahead in the 41st minute after Akash Mishra found him with a diagonal ball to end a first half in which India gradually grew into the match. Panama arrived as the 44th ranked team in the world and with a team that had recent World Cup experience, but India spent long periods making that pedigree difference look far less significant.

“When you give them space and time, they can do what they want because they have very quality players. They made it difficult for us, especially in our defense, with the second striker they had up front. It was difficult to handle.” Indian players passed Panama man for man. (Image: X/@IndianFootball)

“We were a bit disorganized. It also gave India the opportunity when they got the ball back to go and attack because we were so spread out and our lines were too far apart. That was one of the main reasons we didn’t come into the game really well.”

That was perhaps the most revealing part of Christiansen’s assessment. India didn’t just spend the night waiting for Panama to make a mistake. They actively forced the visitors into uncomfortable positions, with Tekcham Singh busy on the right, Anwar Ali and Bijoy Varghese dealing well with Panama’s forward movement and Williams giving the defense trouble whenever India got the ball.

Even after Panama responded in the second half, India continued to have their moments. Omar Javier Valencia’s long-range equalizer in the 68th minute turned the tide and gave the visitors more control, but India kept pushing forward and narrowly edged through Edmund Lalrindika after Ashique Kuruniyan’s wonderful cross.

So the 1-1 final had a bit more weight than a routine friendly draw. Panama had 12 2026 World Cup capped players in their matchday group, while five others started for the senior side, yet India managed to dominate the period of the match and force Christiansen’s team to acknowledge where they went wrong.

For Christiansen, that means Bengaluru will experience something Panama must learn from rather than just walk past. He admitted that the build-up was complicated, but his comments also acknowledged that India had the quality and organization to punish Panama when the visitors lost form.

Panama will now continue their Asian tour, taking on New Zealand in Yokohama on October 1 and either Japan or Ecuador in Tokyo on October 5.

Meanwhile, India will move on to the two biggest Tests of this FIFA window. Khalid Jamil’s team will face Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6, with both matches scheduled in Kolkata.

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