CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 World Cup is down to its final round: a year-long, six-team tournament, affectionately known as the Hex(agonal).
Honduras gets the privilege of hosting the first game of this Hex, welcoming Panama to San Pedro Sula. These two teams are expected to compete for fourth place (and a playoff against the fifth-placed team in Asia for a World Cup spot) in the final standings.
Pre-tournament expectations heavily favor Honduras in this game. San Pedro Sula is something of a fortress for Los Catrachos: in the last Hex, Honduras was unbeaten at home - that record and a famous win over Mexico at Azteca carried the team through to Brazil 2014 as the third automatic qualifier out of CONCACAF.