2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying

With T&T's tie vs Guatemala, the US have essentially clinched a spot in the next round. The first tiebreaker is goal differential. Should we lose to T&T on Tuesday, Guatemala would has to make up and best a current 12 goal difference. While T'm sure they'll score plenty of goals against St. Vincent, I doubt that can be made up.

In Group 1, Mexico has clinched. Honduras can clinch with a tie or win over Mexico. Canada can pass Honduras with a win against El Salvador and making up the 5 goal difference between them and Honduras.

In Group 2, Costa Rica and Panama have clinched.

On the US game...Yes, we scored a 6-0 victory but it wasn't without it's problems. St. Vincent had 2 goals called back that were offside but not by much. Sloppy defending at times by Acosta and Yedlin wasn't helping. There was little that came through the central midfield with both Jones and Bradley out for this one. I would love to see Sasha Kkjasdfklaj;lkmcthan;!l;as;an get a chance to start with Bradley on Tuesday. Klkjasdjkfhalnc has been playing very well of late and looked great yesterday...especially with how well he hooked up with Pulisic (who also earned the right to get a start). Zusi and Altidore were bad. I know the field conditions weren't the best but their 1st touch was horrible (as usual for Altidore). Wood should've had 2 but he just mi**** one that would've give us the lead much earlier.

This is one of those damned-if-you-do games. Yes, they won exactly how they should've won against essentially an amateur team. But they can't take too much from it other than the guys that didn't play well (IMO...Altidore, Zusi, Johnson, Yedlin, Acosta). I don't think any of those guys earned the chance to start again...but I'm sure Kinsmann will go with most of the same 11 (they've already said Howard is going to start in the net).

 

I'd like to see that, too. Don't have anything against Honduras but I would like to see Canada continue to build it's program. The MLS has possibly done more for the Canadian program than it has for the US. They've become clearly better than where they were just 5-10 years ago.

 

I think it just means we open at home and won't play at Azteca in the first game. Personally, I'd rather they play there early. Get it out of the way during cooler months.

 

That slowly became a fun game to watch. Took a while for our boys to get going...but when they did, they proved who the top team in the group was decisively. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing that our best player right now is days short of turning 18. Pulisic is the creative winger we've been missing for so long. Klejstan got more and more comfortable as the game went on and he was very good. I think he and Bradley can make a better combo than Bradley and Jones (both too defensive). Altidore is so freaking maddening to me. Bad first touch after bad first touch...only to have a great first touch to set up his first goal. He should've had a hat trick but he wasn't ready on a Pulisic cross that he should've been on top of. The defense was solid enough but it's clear that Cameron should be starting in the middle. However, I'm not sold on Yedlin starting.

Pulisic being a starter means Fabian moves to the back line...which I'm ok with. It makes that left side very dangerous offensively and forces opposing teams to stay back. Having players that are finally willing to run at a defense is going to create so much more excitement and better results going forward.

I'd still rather we opened @ mexico than at home but another Columbus beatdown would be a great way to get the final round kicked off.

Lastly...I hope to never see another important match be held in Jacksonville ever again. Mostly empty stadium and a crappy field. That was kind of embarrassing to see them playing on a field with football lines and the outsides so torn up. This isn't 1992. We should expect better. I would be more than fine to have all home qualifying matches be played at either Columbus or Seattle.

 

So many things factor into it. I love what he's doing and the path that he's taking. Things look incredibly bright for him. It's good he's in Germany and not able to constantly hear how he'll be the greatest ever. Because of how he's been handled, it would appear he'll be able to manage the pressure and expectations better than Donovan did. This is what Freddie Adu could've been had his family done the right thing and had him move to play in Europe early on.