The forecast is for subzero temperatures tonight with the wind chill potentially getting as low as -25.
If we were playing a team better than us then I would get this cold business but shouldnt we beat Honduras 3-0 in Houston. I feel like this might be a disadvantage
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2-0 at the half on the frozen tundra. 2 set piece goals which was nice to see.
Man does that look cold from my warm family room. Someone needs to watch the tenders to make certain they are not frozen in place.
If my math is right, as long as Costa Rica doesn’t win out, a win over Panama qualifies us for the World Cup, regardless of what we or Panama do in the other games in the last window.
So you’re saying that we are in big trouble? I would like to think we aren’t but given the teams history over the past few years…
Quite the opposite. Costa Rica ties Canada. US beats Panama in Orlando. US goes to the World Cup. Now if the US loses to Mexico and can’t do better than a tie vs. Panama, then it gets messy.
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We shouldn’t have any problems beating Panama at home, but if we don’t, things could get pretty dicey. Based on past experience, I don’t like leaving these things up to a single game.
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Agreed, but Canada has looked pretty good so far. Plus, we are not by any means heads and shoulders above the competition. Hopefully, we get at least a point at Mexico and a home W against Panama. Would make the final game much less stressful.
McKennie has a broken foot and Reyna re-re-injures himself. Both are out for the next round of qualifiers, which makes things even more precarious.
Aaronson is in pretty good
Form right now
Italy’s last three tournament performances:
2018: DNQ
2021: Champions
2022: DNQ
Hopefully we don’t match them.
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Game against Panama is huge. Got to get 3 there.
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A US win and Costa Rica draw at El Salvador puts the US in.
CONCACAF got drawn against Oceania in the intercontinental playoff, so top 4 should be good enough to qualify, although obviously we’d prefer to get top 3 and not even have to deal with the playoff.
We have a great chance to either officially or essentially clinch qualification today based on results in Costa Rica’s road game against El Salvador this afternoon and our home game against Panama tonight.
If Costa Rica loses:
- US win/draw clinches top 3
- US loss - to pass us Panama would need either a win against Canada + a US loss/draw against Costa Rica OR a draw against Canada + a US loss to Costa Rica + making up 8 goal differential; to pass us Costa Rica would need to beat us on Wednesday and make up 7 goal differential
If Costa Rica draws:
- US win clinches top 3
- US draw clinches top 4 and Costa Rica would need to win by 4 on Wednesday to knock us out of the top 3
- US loss - to pass us Costa Rica would have to win on Wednesday; to pass us Panama would need either a win against Canada + a US loss/draw against Costa Rica OR a draw against Canada + a US loss to Costa Rica + making up 8 goal differential
If Costa Rica wins:
- US win would guarantee top 4 and require Costa Rica to make up 7 goal differential today/Wednesday to drop us out of top 3
- US draw would guarantee top 4 and require a win/draw on Wednesday to remain top 3
- US loss - to pass us Costa Rica would need a win on Wednesday OR a draw on Wednesday + making up 7 goal differential today; to pass us Panama would need either a win against Canada + a US loss/draw against Costa Rica OR a draw against Canada + a US loss to Costa Rica + making up 8 goal differential
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Feeling pretty safe right now
For us to not qualify and have to play the Oceania winner in a playoff, we have to lose by 6 at Costa Rica and Mexico has to at least tie El Salvador. If we lose by 6 and Mexico loses. We finish 3rd as our respective goal differentials would be the same, but we’ve scored more goals. If we lose by 7, Mexico finishes 3rd in the group even if they lose. Stranger things have happened but this would require incredibly strange things.
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The team is celebrating with a “QUALIFIED” banner on the field after the game, which definitely feels like tempting fate. 
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They qualified for the play-in versus Oceania. 