AnalarminglossofformbyCostaRica,
coupledwiththeresurgenceofJamaica
andCanada,meansthatCONCACAF’s
automaticthirdplaceis farfroma shoe-in.
Gifted ParisSaint-Germaingoalkeeper
KeylorNavas,AlajuelenseplaymakerBryan
RuizandexperiencedmidfielderCelso
Borgesare suingex-CostaRicaFA
executivesfor defamationovera claim
thattheythreatenedtolosematches on
purposetoget ridofformernational
coachJorgeLuisPinto.
Itwas an unwelcomedistractionduring
a period in whichCostaRicatalliedjust
onewinin 14 matchesunder coach
RonaldGonzalez.LuisSuarezreplaced
himfor theGoldCup andsteeredLos
Ticostowins over Guadeloupe,Jamaica
andSurinamebeforetheyfell2-0to
Canadainthequarter-finals.
Itwas,atbest,ananaemicshowing
froma nearfull-strength CostaRicasquad.
AndSuarezwillhopethatNavasinspires
whenhereturnsfromtheshoulderinjury
thatkepthimout of theGoldCup.
Jamaicahavehadtheirown internal
issues,althoughtalkofa playerstrike
overmatchfeeshasdissipated.Head
coachTheodore Whitmoresettledfora
quarter-final finishatthe GoldCupbut
hecanpointtoa weakenedsquad and
anuntimelyinjury to newAstonVilla
signingandtalentedattackerLeonBailey.
Atthe last threeGoldCups, the
ReggaeBoyz,ledbywilyPhiladelphia
UniongoalkeeperAndreBlake,were
twicerunners-upand fourth-placed
finishersrespectivelyandmust fancy
theirchancesofadvancingtotheir
secondWorldCup finals.
Their oddsofdoingsoshouldshorten
considerablyifEnglish-bornWestHam
Unitedforward MichailAntoniojoins
thecause,ashasbeenrumoured.
Canadawill be thereor thereabouts
aswell.TheCanuckstookthelongway
intotheOctagonal,astheynavigated
twoqualifyingroundstogethere–aninconveniencethatMexico,USA,
Costa Rica,JamaicaandHonduras
werenotaskedtoendure.
Pacyandversatile 20 -year-old
BayernMunichflankerAlphonsoDavies
isCanada’smost recognisablefacebut
hardlytheironlymatch-winner, as prolific
Besiktasforward CyleLarin,veteran
playmakerJuniorHoilett andNew
EnglandRevolutionattackerTajon
Buchanandemonstratedintheir
2021 GoldCup semi-finalrun.
Atpresent,Canada’sCOVID- 19
restrictionsforcetheirfootballersto
playalltheirgamesontheroad.If
thatholds,coachJohnHerdman’s
taskismore difficult– althoughnot
insurmountablefor arguably themost
talentedcropofplayersintheirhistory.
Honduras, El SalvadorandPanama
completetheline-upandwill notbe
outoftheirdepth,althoughtheyare
notobvious contendersfor a World
Cupqualifyingspot.
Hondurasaregenerallytightat
thebackwith somebiteat theother
endthroughathleticBoavistaattacker
AlberthElis,whiletheirTokyoOlympic
qualificationsuggeststhata talented
cropisemerging– ledby23-year-old
RegginaflankerRigobertoRivas.Butcan
coachFabianCoitofashionhisplayers
intoan irrepressibleunit in time?
Panamahavebeenlukewarm
themselvesand,havingonlyjust bested
Curacaointhesecond qualifyinground,
itishardto seetheiradventure lasting
muchlonger. If theyaretotaste success,
32-year-oldUNAMPumasforward
GabrielTorreswouldbeheavilyinvolved
ashelookstoaddto an international
tally of 22 goalsfrom 96 outings.
ElSalvador, coachedbyformerUSA
playmakerHugoPerez,strengthened
recentlywiththeaddition of American-
bornmidfielderAlexRoldan(Seattle
Sounders)whileCDAguila forward
DavidRugamoswill hopetocontinue
hispurplepatchofeightqualifying
goalsfromhis first sixqualifiers.
ElSalvadorhavenotqualifiedfor
a WorldCupsince 19 82.Butthen
theyhavenotmadeit even thisfar
in 12 years.Onestepat a time.Canada
CostaRica
ElSalvador
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Panama
USATHEFINALEIGHTWORLDSERVICEJamaica
playmaker...
LeonBaileyTop two...USA
havebeaten
Mexicotwice
thissummer