‘It’s easy to judge when you’re on the other side’ – Panama’s José Córdoba breaks his silence on conceding penalty to Mexico in Nations League Final
- The player shared his emotional message on social media.
- He has 23 appearances for Los Canaleros.
- Córdoba is in his first season with Norwich City in the Championship.
WHAT HAPPENED?
José Córdoba, the Panamanian defender whose 89th-minute handball led to Mexico’s game-winning penalty in the Nations League Final, has spoken out about his costly mistake. With the match tied 1-1 and on the verge of extra time, his error shifted the outcome at SoFi Stadium.
Raúl Jiménez converted the penalty, securing El Tri’s first-ever title in the competition’s history.
“It’s easy to judge when you’re on the other side of the situation… But everyone should understand that in life, there are moments that escape our control. It was a mistake – nothing was intentional. Seeing our dream of winning a possible title with my national team slip away because of a play I was involved in was heartbreaking, but unfortunately, that’s how it happened. I will continue to fight in every match I play for my country. I am grateful to the entire nation for their unconditional support, for always being there, following every game, and cheering for us from afar. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP,” wrote the Norwich City player.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
José Córdoba spoke for the first time after the mistake he made in the Nations League Final, where Panama lost 2-1 to Mexico. The Norwich City defender has received a significant amount of hate messages, which he shared with the public on his social media account. Some of the message have even called for an investigation into potential sports betting involvement.
He should never wear the Panama jersey again, José Córdoba is a thief, betting is killing football were among the reactions circulating after his costly error.
Despite the criticism, Córdoba’s statement – where he insisted the handball was unintentional – was well received by his supporters. Many fans rallied behind him, recognizing his status as one of Panama’s key football figures due to his experience playing in Europe.
DID YOU KNOW?
Thomas Christiansen, Panama’s head coach, has lost six of his seven matches against Mexico, including the 2023 Gold Cup final, where El Tri won 1-0 with a goal from Santiago Giménez. His best result against Mexico was a 1-1 draw at the Rommel Fernández Stadium during the 2021 World Cup Qualifiers.
The Nations League final also marked Panama’s sixth final in the last 20 years, highlighting the country’s significant football growth. Los Canaleros have reached three Gold Cup finals (2005, 2013, and 2023)
Tommy Watson sends emotional 113-word message to Sunderland fans after Brighton transfer confirmation
Tommy Watson has sent an emotional message to Sunderland fans after his transfer to Brighton was confirmed.
Sunderland have agreed a deal to sell Tommy Watson to Brighton & Hove Albion. The deal will conclude when the transfer window opens on July 1st and brings an end to a long-running transfer saga, with the Premier League club attempting to sign the 18-year-old on the last two transfer windows.
Watson will remain available for selection between now and the end of the season before the deal goes through in the summer. The winger had 18 months left on his current professional contract and with an extension deemed highly unlikely, the Black Cats have decided to do business now.
The Echo understands that the structured deal could eventually secure the Black Cats in excess of £10 million, while the club have also secured a sell-on clause in the region of 20%.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you! The support you’ve all shown me as I’ve come through the academy and broken into the first team has been amazing,” Watson said on Instagram after the move was confirmed by both cubs on social media.
He continued: “Although the journeys not over yet, as the news of my move breaks I wanted to come on here and express a massive thank you to everyone along the way. We’ve still got one massive push till the end of the season and goals to achieve.
“I’ll give my all to the team to make sure we do everything we can to reach them. See all of you that are travelling Saturday. 7 huge games to go, to get this club back to where it belongs,” Watson concluded ahead of this weekend’s game against West Brom.
What have Sunderland said about the Tommy Watson to Brighton transfer?
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: “Tommy’s a very talented young player, who’s been subject to multiple offers from Premier League Clubs over the past two windows, and it’s been well-documented that we’ve declined these approaches with the intent of extending his contract. Unfortunately, this has not been possible, and we now believe this agreement represents the best long-term outcome for Sunderland AFC.
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“Tommy first joined our Club at age six and his rise to the first team demonstrates what is possible at the Academy of Light. We are proud of the role we have played in his development and although we will be disappointed to see him depart in June, we know he’s fully committed to helping the team throughout the final stages of the season.”
Sheffield Wednesday man scoops award but midfielder dealt cruel blow after being brought back in from the cold
Reed, who turned 22 last month, joined the Seadogs in February as he teamed up with another young Owl, Mackenzie Maltby, in the National League North. He’s gone on to play nine times for Jonathan Greening’s side, scoring twice, and this week it was confirmed that he’d been voted as the club’s Player of the Month for March.
The former Brighouse Town defender started six of their seven NLN matches as they managed to put together a four-game run without conceding, however he only made the bench over the weekend as their run came to an end with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brackley Town. He’ll be hoping to be back in the mix again when they face Marine FC on Saturday.
Sean Fusire back in from the cold
Elsewhere, Sean Fusire has managed to fight his way back into the fold at Carlisle United, with Mark Hughes finally handing him a start on Tuesday night. But sadly things didn’t go to plan.
Points deduction rules as Coventry City’s play-off rival’s players go unpaid again
Coventry City opposition news from CoventryLive as Sheffield Wednesday admit problem with payment of players’ salaries
Coventry City’s Championship play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday have failed to pay all players’ wages for March and will automatically face a transfer embargo.
The Owls, who sit in 12th place in the table – just five points short of the play-offs and seven behind the Sky Blues – have blamed the issue on cashflow problems at owner Dejphon Chansiri’s businesses. The family of Chansiri, who took over the club 10 years ago, runs Thai Union Group, the world’s largest producer of canned tuna.
Players’ wages had previously gone unpaid in the final months of the 2020/21 season before they were settled in June 2021. In October 2023, Chansiri asked fans to raise £2million to help pay an outstanding debt to HM Revenue and Customs and cover wages. In November last year, Wednesday were placed under a registration embargo by the EFL regarding a debt to HMRC.
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When Reading failed to pay players in 2023, it was reported the non-binding EFL guidelines stated that clubs could face a three point deduction for each late payment breach, although the league sought a four-point penalty in that case, with a further four suspended. They ended up having one point taken away
