Román Torres strutted down the walkway at Starfire Sports Complex on Thursday with the smile and swagger of a man who had just led his country to its first World Cup appearance.
Voice hoarse and clad in sweats, Torres had spent the last 48 hours celebrating with his teammates after his 87th-minute goal against Costa Rica in the final round of the CONCACAF Hexagonal gave Los Canaleros a 2-1 win and sent them to an automatic World Cup berth. The Panamanian government declared Wednesday a national holiday as the Central American country of four million people reveled in an ecstasy they had for too long waited to taste.