Josué Vergara marked his senior international debut for Panama with a goal, opening the scoring against Ecuador in the Kirin Cup third-place match in Tokyo.
The 19-year-old started at centre-forward and struck in the 38th minute. After meeting a cross from the left, Vergara’s first effort came back off the post before he reacted quickly to finish the rebound and give Panama a 1-0 lead.
Ecuador equalised through Juan Riquelme Angulo in the second half, leaving the match level at 1-1 after 90 minutes. Panama then won the penalty shootout 7-6 to take third place in the tournament.
The opposition made the debut all the more notable. Ecuador fielded an established senior side featuring players including Ángelo Preciado, Félix Torres, Jeremy Sarmiento, Alan Minda and Jordy Caicedo.
The Kirin Cup fixture was a senior international friendly rather than a competitive qualifier, but it counts in Vergara’s official senior international record. He therefore leaves his first Panama appearance with a simple set of numbers:
1 senior cap
1 goal
Vergara’s rise has been rapid. SkyrScout profiled the 2007-born striker during his spell with FK Auda in May, highlighting the 196 cm forward’s unusual combination of size, mobility, technical ability and finishing with both feet.
He moved to KAA Gent during the summer and scored on his Belgian Pro League debut in August.
Now he has done the same thing on the international stage.