Panama has a REALLY tough remaining schedule. at Costa Rica Jamaica at Mexico Honduras at USMNT Canada Both of those Panama/Costa Rica and Panama/Jamaica games coming up are virtual elimination games. Costa Rica and Jamaica have to throw the kitchen sink at them. Gonna be fun. The team that is able to beat Panama (or both of them) is still very much in it. And yes.............the more damage down to Panama in the next window, the better it is for the USMNT. Cuz based on the schedule we have to expect the USMNT to amass at least 6 points.
I just don’t see Panama having any issues in those games. Panama already dominated Jamaica in Jamaica with all their euro players. It’s not a good match up for Jamaica. Costa Rica was dominated in Panama. I’m sure the expected goals was completely lopsided. Panama’s weakness is putting away chances, not making them. If Costa Rica tries to play a wide open game and run with them.... it could get real ugly real fast for the Ticos.
I mean that Panama game was Jamaica's first game with a ton of their Euro players and I believe didn't include Leon Bailey. Panama is a very well coached team, but Jamaica definitely has more talent and a player like Antonio. Costa Rica's team is old and can't get in a wide open game, but they looked better last window and playing in Costa Rica is still one of the more difficult road trips in CONCACAF. Indeed the US has never even got a point there during the entire Hex era. And at the end of the day the game in Panama was a 0-0 tie.
3 of Panama's last 4 are against the top 3. No way they come out with meaningful points from those games.
I clearly have seen Panama differently than everyone else on this thread since the beginning of the Ocho. To me they were always poised as a top four side. I expect them to continue to improve over the last few windows as they work out their flaws. Still understanding that WQC is always unpredictable and anything can happen.
The crazy English FA will only be using VAR at Premier League stadiums during the FA Cup 3rd round this weekend. That means 9 matches will use VAR while 23 won't.
They have a hard working, skillful, and athletic side. They play through pressure quite easily, so opponents struggle to dictate the game. Going into the WCQ, they needed to sort out the CBs and keeper issues. They did that. They are only struggling to put away chances. They had Mexico beat, creating several good chances in the first half before giving up the equalizer in the second. It’s been a common theme through their games. If they start putting away chances, they are a top four side for certain.
It is possible for the US to qualify in this upcoming window, but a lot would have to go our way - USA wins all three matches - Mexico OR Panama lose all three matches - No other team has more than 14 total points by the end of the window.
Do we know whether Canada will allow fans? I could see us getting a result in Canada as our guys will be much more comfortable in a developed/European like country. If Canada doesn’t have fans we can easily take points but we will need to score goals.
I think we should expect at least a draw. The only game they’ve bunkered in the Ocho was against us. And I’d expect them to do it again as they know our MF (assuming MMA) is likely to control an open game. They have the talent up top to get a W at home against us. But I don’t think that’s a likely result.
Honduras and Colombia are playing a friendly in Ft. Lauderdale on January 16. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/colombia-honduras-announce-rosters-january-172157699.html The Honduras callup list is entirely domestic, while Colombia's is domestic with a few MLS and China-based players.
I would be surprised if they bunkered at home the way they did on the road. They’re going to want the three points at home so they can’t just sit back.
I also doubt we attempt to run out the MMA midfield three games in a row. So there’s a decent chance we see the MMA against Canada.
Based on what leading into it? I get it now, but 4.5 months ago I didn’t see it. There attack was functioning well throughout stage 1 and 2 of qualifying, ditto the D, but they struggled w/curaçao 2-1 home, 0-0 away), then got curb stomped in the Gold cup group stage, that sterling defense gave up 6 goals combined on match day 1 and 2 against Qatar and the since imploded Honduras, and they failed to make the knockouts of the easiest confederation tournament around save Oceania’s. I just can’t understand your confidence in them. Honduras was far better in the summer Jamaica was coming on a bit, even El Salvador turned it around after a sketchy bit of qualifying. I think what is truly telling is they’ve been thrashed at Canada, fell to a largely toothless El Salvador and we’re 15 mins away from losing by multiple goals to a gutted, pathetic Honduras side. Paper tiger in my view ready to get smashed on the road in the next window. The only thing that gives me pause is I think theyre well coached, and unlike Costa Rica, they did build this side around their next generation w/some vet glue guys sprinkled in and do they’re learning as they go and don’t realize they shouldn’t be where they are (maybe) and are playing w/youthful irrational confidence. I think that’s best exemplified by the other side of that Honduras comeback win: When Honduras was up 2-0 in the 77th minute Panama had been out scored 6-0 in the previous 135 mins or so against Canada and then Honduras before they exploded for 3 goals in the last 15 of that comeback win over Honduras, heck they even came back again s few days later after giving up an early goal to El Salvador yo beat them. So I kinda view them as well coached and highly motivated w/self belief, but beyond that they feel like a kind of hot mess of a team that’s very beatable but also not a side you can expect to give up, period, so you really need to approach them like Canada did. I make no prediction w/Hamaica because if you look at their matches and understand the way covid restrictions snd lack of cohesion have impacted them, you should expect the unexpected. Remember, the match before the Panama drubbing they were w/o a ton of their first choice guys but 1-1 w/Mexico entering the 89th minute. Look at their cv and you see: 6 good results and 2 crappy ones. Their problem is they’ve been drawing in all their quality performances. If they can conver to some wins down the stretch, they become a problem. They need a 3 pointer and no losses in this next window. They pull that off they got a fighting chance. my expectation w/this window: Mexico collects 7 or 9 USA collects 6 or 7 Canada collects 5 or 7 Panama collects 2 or 4 Costa Rica gets 3 Jamaica gets 4 That would tighten the race for 4th and the battle for the top 3 (which I remain convinced Mexico will win based on their superior road performances in Central America).
The only things Costa Rica have going for them is goal keeping and the fact that they don’t have to worry about long road trips because they’ve finished the USA/Canada roadies which probably are an issue for an old run down team that has to play 3 games in 8 days twice in these last two windows. I still expect them to finish 5th or 6th but having a 2 point lead on Jamaica helps them. We’ll see, I suspect they finish 6th. Jamaica might be able to catch Panama but so far Panama has repeatedly collected 3 points in coin toss results games where Jamaica’s got only 1 or 0 in a lol of those. They need to reverse that trend in this window to have any hope for 4th place.
Maybe so. But if we’re starting MMA I’d welcome them coming right at us. Stealing 3 on the road would go a long ways to sealing a spot before the brutal final stretch.
I mean I would like nothing more than to play Canada will our first choice lineup and go for the three points. But at the same time we can't start all MMA all 3 games and the real key to this window is 3 points against El Salvador and Honduras. One thing though is that our team is at its best when we're able to press aggressively. I do think that's been somewhat limited in our road games so far because we didn't want to push it in the heat and humidity of Central America. That'll be less of an issue on the road in the cold.
I'm not so sure. We only sent half a starting team to play at Panama, and they needed an own goal from us for them to win.
It’s hard to have a serious conversation when it begins like this. The results were 3:1 over Grenada, 2:3 loss to Honduras, and 3:3 tie to Qatar. The reality was that Honduras game was back and forth and wide open; really one of the best games of the tournament. Honduras was flying high and due to injuries to important attackers, did not win that group, which would have put Panama through as the 2nd place team.
Every team has had to rest players on away games. The teams that haven’t ran out of legs in the last match (see Panama and El Salvador in Canada)
There's only two games in this window so you can play the same starting eleven. I'd be tempted to protect Pulisic though because of his injury record. Maybe 65-70 minutes against Canada.