What Happened
Panama’s Under-17 national team picked up its first victory at the 2026 Youth South American Games on Wednesday, beating Bolivia 2-1 at Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez Stadium in Panama City.
The result gave La Rojita three points after an opening-day 3-1 loss to Paraguay at the Luis Matador Tejada High Performance Center.
Chalmers Strikes Twice Early
Thiago Chalmers gave Panama a fast start in the 6th minute, finishing a cross from inside the penalty area to open the scoring.
Five minutes later, Chalmers struck again. He reacted to a rebound and placed a shot past the Bolivian goalkeeper to make it 2-0 and put the home side in control before the match had settled.
Bolivia Pushes Back
Bolivia refused to fold despite the early setback and found a response in first-half stoppage time. The South American side pulled one back in the 45+2 minute, cutting the deficit and keeping the contest alive heading into the break.
Panama then had to manage the match under pressure in the second half, especially after Chalmers was shown a red card in the 67th minute for a hard challenge on Frank Suárez.
Defense Holds the Lead
With a numerical advantage for much of the second half, Bolivia pushed forward and tried to trap Panama deep in its own half. Even so, Panama’s defense stood firm and preserved the one-goal lead until the final whistle.
The match grew more heated in stoppage time when Bolivia also went down to 10 players after Bruno Sánchez was sent off by the referee.
Why It Matters
The victory gives Panama a crucial boost in the group stage of the youth tournament and rewards a strong opening spell from Chalmers, whose two goals set the tone. It also offers a confidence lift for the team after a difficult debut and adds momentum while the home crowd continues to back the national side at the tournament held in Panama.