World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

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Inthe 2 01 8 WorldCupqualifying

series,the fireworkscameonthe

final matchday,asbottom-of-the-table

Trinidad andTobagoeliminatedUSA

withashock2-1 wininCouva,a result

thatsawPanamaadvancetotheir

first-everseniorFIFAtournament.

Isthereasurprisebrewingfor the

Qatar 2 02 2 WorldCupqualifyingseries?

First,let’slookatthe threenationsthat

haveessentiallyhoggedCONCACAF’s

qualifyingberthssincethe turn of the

millennium(USA’s 2018 bananaskin

notwithstanding):Mexico,CostaRica

andthe UnitedStates.

AninauguralCONCACAFNations

Leaguecrown plusa seventhGoldCup

victorywitha virtualC team wasan

awesomeandtimelyshowofstrength

byUSA coachGreggBerhalter, and

theStarsandStripeswillsurelybe

anxioustogetgoinginCONCACAF’s

newOctagonal.

ChelseaattackerChristianPulisicis

USA’smarqueeplayer andleads a gifted

fresh-facedcast that includes 23-year-

oldJuventusmidfield fixerWeston

McKennie,teenageBorussiaDortmund

schemerGioReynaand21-year-old

frontmanJoshSargent,a recent

acquisitionforNorwichCityfrom

WerderBremen.

USAhavetalliedtenstraight

competitivewinssincea surprise

2-0NationsLeaguedefeattoCanada

inToronto in October 2019 andare

theconfederation’s form team.Itis

difficultnottoimaginethemgoing

thefulldistancein thisWorldCup

qualifyingedition.

Mexicofootballfanswould

nothaveenjoyedthis

summertoo much,as

theylostsuccessive

finalstotheirbitter

North American

neighboursinthe

NationsLeagueand

GoldCup tournaments,beforebeing

edgedoutonpenaltiesbyBrazilinthe

semi-finalsatthe TokyoOlympics.

CoachGerardo“Tata”Martinezalso

loststarNapoliattackerHirvingLozano

toa seriousinjurywithin tenminutesof

their GoldCupopener– agoalless

drawagainst TrinidadandTobago.

Mexicostillhaveaplayer pooltoenvy

though,withArgentina-bornMonterrey

forwardRogelioFunes Mori emerging

asoneofthe GoldCup’s standouts,

whilestarWolvescentre-forwardRaul

Jimenezis on themendafter a lengthy

injury-enforcedlayoff.

Behind them, 36 -year-oldClub

AmericagoalkeeperGuillermoOchoa

showslittlesignofslowingdown,while

AjaxdefensivemidfielderEdsonAlvarez

andflankerJesusCoronaofferguileand

panachetothecause.

And,ofcourse, there is Mexico’s

intimidatingAztecaStadiuminMexico

Citywhere they have notlostin 11

outings– ninewinsandtwodraws

• sincea 2-1defeattoHonduras
  inSeptember 2013.
  ShouldMexico’s homeformhold,
  ElTricolorwillalsobe amongstthe
  32 nationsatthe QatarWorldCup.

Final eight on

the road to Qatar

WhowilljoinUSAandMexicoattheWorldCup?

CONCACAFWorldCup Qualifiers

LASANALIBURD

USAhavetalliedtenstraightcompetitive

wins...itisdifficultnottoimaginethem

goingthefulldistanceinthisWorldCup

qualifyingedition

Canadatalisman...

AlphonsoDavies