World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

[jefe]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

And Nicaragua make it to the 89th minute still going through on away goals, until Simon Dawkins volleys home a headed rebound for 2-0. Extra time ensues, and ensues to no avail.

[TheFourMarys]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF



Canada - The fourth constituent part of the Axis Of Evil.

A sad but proud night in Belmopan which I'll write about in the next couple of days.

World Cup 18 is over for the Mighty Belize Jaguars but the ever-expanding Global Jaguar Army lives on.

Winning is something. Pride is everything.

[TheFourMarys]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Ugh. After all these years I still can't upload photos here.

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Kevchenko wrote:
Results for the first legs:
St V & G 2-0 Aruba
Grenada 1-3 Haiti
Curacao 0-1 El Salvador
Canada 3-0 Belize
Antigua and Barbuda 1-0 Guatemala
Jamaica 2-3 Nicaragua

Second legs:
Haiti 3 - 0 Grenada
Aruba 2 - 1 Saint V & G
Belize 1 - 1 Canada
Nicaragua 0 - 2 Jamaica
El Salvador 1 - 0 Curacao
Guatemala 2 - 0 Antigua and Barbuda

Haiti, St V & G, Canada (boo!), Jamaica (just!), El Salvador, Guatemala (boo!) are the six who reach the first group stage. No first round teams made it in the end.

The groups are now finalised:

MEX
HON
ESA
CAN

CRC
PAN
HAI
JAM

USA
TTO
VIN
GUA

Pairs of matches in mid Nov, late March and early Sept. Top two from each go into the hex. Group B looks like the one where the two seeded teams might have the most difficulty, as they have ended up with the two highest-rated of the six qualifying teams.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

9 of those 12 have been to a World Cup finals before. CONCACAF has a richer football heritage than immediately comes to mind.

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

The CONCACAF teams are generally better than those from Asia, for my money, despite having fewer qualifying spots.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Who do CONCACAF's 4th play off against next time?

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

As it happens, it's Asia's fifth. Should be fun.

New Zealand will lose to the fifth best team in South America.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

I would expect anyone in the hex to beat Asia's 5th. Unless it's Qatar, and some petrodollars are involved.

[ursus arctos]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Well played, TV Azteca

Is this the greatest ad for a U.S. soccer game ever?

The U.S. Men’s National Team faces Mexico in a special CONCACAF playoff for a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup. The winners of the last two Gold Cups meet on Oct. 10 at the Rose Bowl in LA. TV Azteca has produced a pretty awesome ad to promote the game, featuring everyone’s favorite Republican presidential candidate.

[danielmak]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Way behind on my CONCACAF viewing during the FIFA dates, but Jamaica showed that they are better than a side that falls down 0-3. And after watching Panama in the Gold Cup and in friendlies this past week, it is clear to me that they are clearly the team of biggest a*holes. Constantly surrounding the ref, constantly fighting with the other team, constantly haggling with the assistant referees. I am hoping they are beaten in this next round and that will be that for these jerks.

[N est à?]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Could be a doozy of a group that Ticos-Panama-Jamaica-Haiti one, and it wouldn't be that surprising to see the 2014 quarter finalists go out early, given their lackluster form this year.

[danielmak]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

This is as close as I can find for a thread about the CONCACAF Cup. Another repeat of the same old story for the US: "We're very fit." "We never give up." Blahblbhblah. This team is a snore. Jurgen has not shown the same ability to re-enrgize the US that he did with Germany. Yes, the talent level is radically different, but the US team actually seems worse in terms of a style of play/identity compared to prior to Jurgen's appointment.

Wynalda can get a lot of things wrong, but one of the smart things he said during the post-game made a lot of sense: If you are going to sit back and soak up pressure, that's fine if you have a counterattacking plan. But this was a side with no real plan. Just sit back for 80 minutes.

I said this throughout the WC 2014 OTF discussions and I said it again during the 2015 Gold Cup, and I'll say it again now: Michael Bradley is not a #10. He is a deep lying midfielder. His best passes all came from deep. When he was passing near the opponents box, those passes were almost all crap. I can't blame Klinsmann for the lack of a true #10. We have only had 2 in the last decade: Landon and Adu. But Klinsmann can't dig up someone who at least plays that role for a club team? He's going to start 3 deep-lying midfielders with one posing poorly as a #10?

I know the score (a few seconds away from penalty shootouts) looks good for the US, but the quality of play was pitiful barring the second goal we scored. Add onto this a need to win a third place Olympics qualifier to go into a playoff with a CONMEBOL side. So, on one day out of Rio potentially and out of the Confed cup in Russia. I'm sure we will be fine in WCQ but being fine is not progress. I can't see how a country this size with a combination of millions of multi-generation kids playing football as kids mixed with an immigrant population that is in love with the game can't produce a better quality side. And can only produce two f***ing #10s in a decade.

[Bruno]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Heck of a winning goal. Due to reasons this was the first match I'd watched end to end in quite a while, and not a bad choice from a dramatical pov.

The usual depressing pregame spectacle on Fox of US players scowling at me through dry ice basically turned me into a neutral.

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

First up for the USMNT are St V and the G, who have come through two rounds to get to this group, beating Guyana over two legs on away goals, and then Aruba 3-2 on aggregate.

Klinsmann has named his squad for the first two games. The second game is in Trinidad and Tobago.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Club Leon), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Nesta Arantes do Nascimento wrote: Could be a doozy of a group that Ticos-Panama-Jamaica-Haiti one, and it wouldn't be that surprising to see the 2014 quarter finalists go out early, given their lackluster form this year.

Took Mexico to extra time in the Gold Cup by the looks of it, but you're right, these four look really evenly matched. All of them made it to the QFs of the Gold Cup, or further.

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

USA 6 - 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Guatemala 1 - 2 Trinidad & Tobago

Costa Rica 1 - 0 Haiti
Jamaica 0 - 2 Panama

Mexico 3 - 0 El Salvador
Canada 1 - 0 Honduras

Hell of a result for Canada, that.

[Anton Gramscescu]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

We'll still finish third on seven points. Eight, tops.

[Kevin S]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Two defeats for 2014 qualifiers Honduras so far.

[Etienne]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Gramsci sighting!

[N est à?]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

Two defeats for 2014 qualifiers Honduras so far.

Good. While those 'H's on the kit are stylish, they've contributed very little on the pitch the last two finals, other than kicking people, and making people wonder what the hell that blue thing Carlos Costly seems to be chewing on is.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

I'd like to see Panama qualify, just for the novelty value.

[Incandenza]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

I guess it falls to me to bring up Guatemala 2-0 USA. The first loss to Guatemala since 1988, and the first time the USA has ever lost to Guatemala in WC qualification.

What a lifeless performance. Klinsmann, of course, is placing all of the blame on the players' lack of concentration. From Jeff Carlisle on Twitter:

I asked Klinsmann why the lack of focus so early. He said that's a good question for the players.

This was the third round of games, with the reverse fixtures on Tuesday. The USA is currently in third place in their group, 2 points behind Guatemala and 3 behind T&T. T&T play St. Vincent at home on Tuesday, and should win that. If the USA don't win Tuesday, then qualifying for the hex would seriously be in jeopardy.

[danielmak]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

I didn't see the name of the BeIN USA analyst who was in Guatemala but he placed the blame on Klinsman for playing at least 3 players out of position.

I said this after WC14, the USA NT is no better now than prior to Klinsmann's appointment. Perhaps we wouldn't lose a Gold Cup final after being up 2-0 as happened with Bradley but the team is not very good.

[Reed John]

World Cup qualification: CONCACAF

BUT HE HAS A PLAN!!!!! HE'S GOING TO REVOLUTIONIZE AMERICAN SOCCER!!!!!!!!!!