Our manager already said he’s putting his best lineup for the game. We are not freaking qualified. We’re not putting a B side in. Costa Rica will probably play a friendly match before then and they can get rid of those yellow/red cards. It’s a literally our last game in a hostile environment until the world cup. A great test.
They would absolutely disqualify the offending team. The actual provision is here: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/2df88...8QFnoECAMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0jAhV93jPnQLq_yCbmPOtW "Any match which is not played or which is abandoned – except in cases of force majeure recognised by FIFA – may lead to the imposition of sanctions against the relevant associations by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code. In such cases, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may also order that the match be replayed." The FIFA Disciplinary Code more or less says that FIFA can do whatever they want in that scenario.
Just want to pause for a moment to appreciate this run by Costa Rica after they were left for dead. 16 points from their last six games, with the only dropped points a draw at the Azteca.
Pretty remarkable to think that if we hadn't pulled off a draw at Azteca, we would be looking at 4th place and a playoff with a loss to Costa Rica. This is what makes World Cup Qualifying so special -- the margins are so razor thin, and the consequences of failure are catastrophic.
And this is why I'm a bit sad tonight. Despite a 5-1 win. WCQ as we know it is coming to a close. It is absolutely my favorite time. Trumps the actual World Cup. The extended drama of it is unparalleled. Now a likley automatic bid followed by 6 CONCACAF reps. I'm sure there will be some year where we make it interesting, but really it should't be. End of the most exciting USA soccer era in some ways happened tonight/Wednesday.
Agreed - the World Cup is still the pinnacle of excitement for me, but I. Absolutely. Love. World Cup qualifying. I'm also kinda sad we're hosting the next World Cup because we won't get to experience something like this again for 7 years (and maybe never again in the same way, depending on what happens with future World Cup expansions).
Indeed.....................and with the way New Zealand is playing, they're looking in really good shape for qualification. [Assuming they don't overturn our GD.] They showed a lot of pride, because it would have been so easy for the Ticos to throw in the towel. Also appreciation to Panama, who punched above their weight for 3/4ths of this qualifying campaign. They just fell at the last hurdle, and we knew that the last window was going to be hard for them. Honduras and El Salvador have fought till the end. Jamaica? Not so much.
The next time this group plays a WCQer at the Azteca............Pulisic, Adams, McKennie, etc. will be in their 30s.
Oh and thanks to FC Dallas. Its shocking how many former FCD homegrown players, draft picks, and current players have been part of this qualifying effort. They only mentioned some of them during the broadcast. Hell, Shaq Moore spent time at the FCD academy. I wouldn't even have him in an FC Dallas academy national team, but he played fine in a WCQer for the USMNT last night. [Id start Cannon and have Reynolds on the bench.] We're Pomykal and a goalkeeper away from a decent FCD starting XI for the national team. Oh, and if Gomez develops at left back we'd insert him. Right now we'd move a right back over to that side. It would be an enormous research project not worth doing.....................but I wonder which CONCACAF academies have produced the most minutes played during WCQers. I imagine its one of the big Central American clubs that produced the most minutes.
Costa Rica basically has half the team on a yellow card away from suspension - and if they go all out and the game gets feisty with a lot of cards, and CR doesn’t get the six goal win they need, they could get key players suspended for the playoff. we might see a boring game with CR protecting its players for the playoff.
If it’s 7 years from now, for the 2030 WC they’d all be exactly 30. Reyna would only be 26, Weah 29, Dest 28, Musah 27, Lletget 36….
Agree in some respects, but as someone who appreciates the Gold Cup I’m not too disheartened to see qualifying change. Mexico vs. U.S. final trumps the qualifying games for me.
Expected goals for the Ocho so far (up and right = good)... 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽 Top 3 are clearly the top 3🇨🇷🇵🇦 Costa Rica might be fortunate to be in 4th place🇭🇳 🇸🇻 Honduras and El Salvador are essentially swapped from their places in the standings pic.twitter.com/Y1xO43Avp7— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 28, 2022
Our best hope in the long run is that more teams in CONCACAF are able to raise their level so that things remain interesting in the future.
And here are the raw numbers The raw goals and xG numbers for the Ocho...🇺🇸 U.S. numbers in line with xG🇨🇦🇨🇷 Canada & Costa Rica look to be running hot defensively🇭🇳 Poor Honduras pic.twitter.com/XCweMadXhL— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 28, 2022
I ran a pythagorean points expected for these updated xG numbers to translate these into a projected standing: USA 25 Mexico: 23 Canada 22 Panama 16 Costa Rica 14 Nicaragua 12 Jamaica 11 El Salvador 5
I would not be opposed to actually having to qualify for 2026. I know it won't happen, but with six bids ... like, we're going to qualify. Mexico is going to qualify. Canada is going to qualify. If we can't find good games otherwise -- except against each other -- I'd like something competitive.
We might not ever play a qualifier at the Azteca again. With 6 teams qualifying, I can see them doing a double hexagonal, and if the US and Mexico stay 1-2 in the region, we'd never be drawn in the same hex. Qualifying for the 48-team World Cup is going to be so ********ing boring. Even worse when they inevitably expand to 64.
Well the way things are going it wouldn't be crazy for Canada to move up to 1 or 2 in the region. But overall agree with you on the 48 team World Cup and really wish they had just stuck to 32 which was the ideal number.
I imagine Mexico and the USMNT will be very interested in the 2024 Copa America. The question is whether it can logistically work in the Nations League era. There are just so many games already on the schedule. The Olympics, which we hope to qualify for, are also in the summer of 2024.
My big hope is that since USA-Mexico drives sooooo much of the television money, CONCACAF doesn't do that. I also think CCAF has been smart over the years to protect their WC slots by having a model that tends to discourage upsets.
Well one difference with the Olympics in 24 if we qualify is our best U23 team won't basically be our A team. If we had qualified Pulisic, Reyna, Weah, Aaronson, Pepi, Sargent, Ferreira, Dike, McKennie, Adams, Musah, LDLT, Busio, Williamson, Robinson, Richards, McKenzie, EPB, Dest, Jedi, Bello, Vines, Cannon, and Reynolds all would have been eligible. This time around I believe of that group only Reyna, Pepi, Bello, Musah, and Busio are eligible. So you could send an A team to the Copa America and still have close to a first choice team for the Olympics too (depending on who clubs are willing to release).