With the Concacaf Nations League and First Round World Cup Qualifying behind us and Second Round Qualifying and the Gold Cup ahead of us, we take a look at where things stand in Concacaf.
Photo: CONCACAF
USA-MEXICO: That was the kind of match that can lift the fortunes long term for the USA. Gregg Berhalter has marquis victory and the squad looks like the best it has been in quite a long time. They overcame allowing an early goal, scored on three set pieces, and Ethan Horvath was heroic in goal. For now, that gives the USA more confidence heading into Gold Cup and the Octagonal starting in September.
We’ll see how the loss affects Mexico. What should affect Mexico severely is the sanctions that must come from FIFA and/or Concacaf if their fans continue to use that homophobic chant at games. In general, the ‘steps’ that need to be taken in future should be to dock teams points in league play and expulsion from tournaments because it does not seem like fans of El Tri are willing to drop the chant at this point.
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING: The USA will not have to worry about Trinidad and Tobago or Guatemala in the Octagonal as both got knocked out in the First Round. T&T’s draw with Bahamas eliminated them and sent St. Kitts and Nevis through to the next round. Guatemala, despite being unbeaten and not conceding a single goal, did not get one against Curacao on Tuesday night and were eliminated after a goalless draw against the former Dutch Antilles. It basically came down to scoring a second half stoppage time goal against British Virgin Islands three days prior which put Curacao ahead on goals scored by one with points and goal difference identical.
Canada, Panama, El Salvador, and Haiti filled out the remaining four spots and sets up these second round matchups set for Saturday and Tuesday, June 15th with the winners filling out the Octagonal:
St. Kitts and Nevis vs. El Salvador
Haiti vs. Canada
Panama vs. Curacao
Of course, due to travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada will play its home leg where they played their decider against Suriname–at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL.
When all is said and done, the Octagonal will have the following teams in draw order:
Haiti or Canada
Honduras
St. Kitts and Nevis or El Salvador
USA
Panama or Curacao
Costa Rica
Mexico
Jamaica
Paramount+ will be your friend for World Cup qualifiers Stateside
as they have the English-language rights to all qualifiers not in either the USA or Mexico.
LOOKING GOOD TOGETHER, CBS AND SOCCER: Kudos to CBS for their coverage of the Concacaf Nations League final which had more drama than on “The Young and the Restless”. Prior to beginning their Champions League coverage, the last significant soccer game that CBS aired was the 1990 NCAA Men’s Soccer National Title Game. Yes, that is the same Mike Joy who now calls NASCAR on FOX. (I wonder what became of some of those players.)
CBS went from nothing to a contender in little time at all. In addition to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, they have the NWSL, Brazil’s Serie A, Italy’s Serie A, Concacaf qualifiers, and Asian Champions League and World Cup qualifiers set to be streamed on Paramount+. It seems like in a little over a year, they’ve got the touch with soccer.
This is the time to remind you that NBC has one year left on its English Premier League contract.
