Panama played with dignity, says coach Gomez

Sochi, June 19 (IANS) After a 3-0 defeat to Belgium in their World Cup debut, Panama coach Hernan Gomez said his team played with dignity and the result was normal.

Asked whether he felt disappointed with the result on Monday, Gomez said: "People say we will lose by six or seven goals, but it didn't happen. Panama played with dignity and for some periods we played pretty well."

Panama, ranked 55th in the world, staged a very encouraging performance in their World Cup debut as they held Belgium's talented team to a 0-0 draw till halftime, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The difference between Belgium and Panama in soccer is greater than three goals," Gomez admitted. 

"Nobody likes losing. We are making the first appearance on the World Cup stage, so some people may say that three goals is a lot, but I think this is a normal result, or even abnormal if you consider that it should have been even worse while facing a team like Belgium."

Panama will take on England on June 24 and then face Tunisia on June 28.