The task was always going to be massive for New York Red Bulls defenders Michael Murillo and Fidel Escobar, who were both in the starting XI in Panama’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match Monday in Sochi.
Their job was to somehow silence a Belgium attack that included Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United) and Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City).
And while the Red Devils pulled away for a 3-0 win in the opening match of Group G, Murillo and Escobar were solid in 90-minute performances.
If there were nerves about being on the world stage fo the first time, neither showed it with Murillo playing a nifty back heel at midfield and Escobar heading a clearance away in the opening moments of the match.
Escobar did well to head away a long ball played toward a darting Lukaku in the 16th minute and he stepped into the passing lane five minutes later to pick off another pass. But De Bruyne stole the ball back and sent a dangerous cross across the face of goal that was cleared by a sliding Roman Torres for a Belgium corner.
Murillo walked a tightrope at times for Los Calaleros, with fouls on Hazard that set De Bruyne up for dangerous, but ultimately goalless, free kicks.
The right back was booked in the 51st minute for a harsh challenge on Yannick Carrasco, but also nearly leveled three minutes later on Panama’s first quality scoring chance. Murillo slipped behind Belgium’s defense, took a bit of a heavy first touch with his right foot and put a shot on frame with his second, but Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois made the low save as the ball caromed out for a corner kick.
It was the first of Panama’s two shots on target.
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Even after Lukaku struck for a brace six minutes apart after Mertens opened the scoring two minutes into the second half, ending Panama’s dreams of a stunning upset win on their World Cup debut, the spirits of Murillo and Escobar, the youngest players in Panama’s backline, were not broken.
Murillo had a well-timed tackle along the endline to dispossess Hazard along the endline in the 78th minute and a minute later Escobar took the ball off Lukaku’s foot with the powerful forward looking for a hat trick.
Escobar had Panama’s other shot on frame, putting a low free kick around the Belgium wall, which forced Courtois to get low to make the 89th-minute save.
Escobar also put a charge into the crowd at Fisht Olympic Stadium in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. After referee Janny Sikazwe whistled play stopped to attend to an injured Panamanian player, Escobar lofted a ball from his side of midfield that Courtois tracked back to push just over his crossbar.