BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 29, 2022
11:10 AM
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THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL group will look to formally e-book their spot in Qatar on Wednesday evening after they go to Costa Rica in San Jose for the ultimate spherical of the Octagonal. The percentages are closely in favor of the U.S. group doing so though the group has made it clear that its objective within the sport is to turn into the primary U.S. group to ever win a qualifier in San Jose.
Not like earlier cycles in CONCACAF or in different areas, Wednesday’s ultimate spherical of qualifying will lack numerous drama.
Canada has already certified for Qatar. The USA and Mexico solely merely must keep away from catastrophic losses to keep away from qualifying. As long as the U.S. group avoids a six-goal defeat on Wednesday in San Jose, it’ll qualify for the World Cup. Mexico hosts El Salvador and should keep away from a 4 -goal loss ought to Costa Rica win. In the meantime, Costa Rica seems sure for the playoff and all groups beneath it (Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Honduras) are eradicated – making the intercontinental playoff the worst it may possibly do. There it’ll face both the Solomon Islands or, probably, New Zealand.
Nonetheless the USA nationwide group insisted on Tuesday to the media that it’s taking nothing without any consideration and it should proceed to play nicely to qualify and put an finish to the ugliness of the failure in 2017.
Listed here are some ideas on the upcoming sport
Abdomen bug wave
The U.S. group has been hit with a abdomen bug this window that has ripped by means of your entire group and its employees. U.S. supervisor Gregg Berhalter mentioned that he estimates that over 30 individuals within the group’s delegation (gamers, coaches, and employees) have been sick. Whereas he signifies that the U.S. group is popping the nook, some gamers have been hit worse than others and a few gamers are nonetheless coping with it.
One such participant is Gio Reyna who tried to play by means of the bug within the second half of Sunday’s 5-1 win over Panama. The Borussia Dortmund playmaker was sharp when he got here on to start out the half however obtained noticeable drained the ultimate 20 minutes. Berhalter indicated that Reyna was certainly battling the sickness after the sport and sounded pessimistic over Reyna’s means to start out on Wednesday evening.
Regardless of this wave of illness, Berhalter believes that he’ll have the ability to area a aggressive group. What has been most spectacular to date is that in a window the place high gamers like Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, and Matt Turner have been injured together with sicknesses to numerous gamers and an absence of membership enjoying time to others, the group is enjoying its greatest soccer of World Cup qualifying.
Costa Rica’s suspension issues
Costa Rica has an enormous concern heading into this sport. The Ticos presently have 9 gamers sitting on yellow playing cards (Calvo, Campbell, Borges, Oviedo, Ruíz, Fuller, Venegas, Martínez, and Bennette – with the primary 5 talked about being typical starters).
When studying the FIFA guidelines, the Ticos gamers danger suspension for the one elimination intercontinental playoff ought to they choose up a yellow card on Wednesday towards United States. Whereas Costa Rica would nonetheless wish to go at the USA and attempt to win whereas overturning the massive objective differential deficit, the percentages are nonetheless overwhelming that it’ll play within the worldwide playoff. Having their key gamers for the playoff is the precedence and the percentages are very excessive that Costa Rica will relaxation numerous key gamers.
The truth that yellow card suspensions carry over from the Octagon and into the intercontinental playoff could be very harsh and unfair. Completely different federations play a special variety of video games of their qualifying codecs and the Octagon is 14 video games. Buying two yellow playing cards throughout the 14 video games to power a suspension for the decisive fifteenth sport could be very unfair.
Whereas this helps the U.S. group on this sport, Berhalter expressed related ideas and is approaching this sport like Costa Rica remains to be going to area its strongest group.
“Honestly, we go 14 rounds,” Berhalter defined. “A guy gets a yellow card in the first round and in the fourteenth round and then he has to sit out the biggest game. It doesn’t make sense, and I feel bad for either us or Costa Rica that are going to have to deal with that… We’re projecting that they’re going to play their best lineup and they’re going to go for it, but I’m not sure exactly what they’re going to do.”
As for Costa Rica, they’re not an offensive group. They’ve scored simply 11 targets in 13 video games within the Octagon. The energy of their group is on the defensive aspect. Nonetheless, a reserve group may make for a hungrier group as younger gamers may be extra desperate to step up and construct their case to be a part of the playoff or World Cup roster. It may not be the very best factor for the USA to face an inexperienced Costa Rica group as their first group gamers may not be as determined understanding the robust odds towards them.
The U.S. lineup
It’s robust to foretell the U.S. lineup for this sport. We don’t know which gamers are nonetheless impacted by the abdomen bug and we additionally don’t know the specifics of which gamers have efficiently regenerated from the primary two video games. The three sport home windows which were frequent throughout the Octagon have examined groups in numerous methods.
There are just a few issues. Among the many area gamers, Walker Zimmerman and Antonee Robinson have each gone 180 minutes to date this window. Zimmerman was fatigued on the finish of the Panama sport. Robinson has lined a ton of floor this window, however George Bello is the again up left again and he was solely added to the roster as soon as Sergino Dest was eliminated on account of damage.
My guess is that each of those gamers begin with Antonee Robinson subbed off within the second half if it turns into clear Costa Rica isn’t going to mount a historic comeback. In the meantime, Zimmerman may also get subbed off within the second half for related causes.
Berhalter additionally indicated that Reggie Cannon has returned to coaching with the group after a quick bout with COVID. Both he or DeAndre Yedlin ought to begin at proper again.
Within the midfield, it’s exhausting to see Tyler Adams not getting the beginning in a sport the place the U.S. group’s foremost focus is to not bleed targets. For that purpose, Kellyn Acosta may also begin within the midfield – which was the strategy in Azteca.
Luca de la Torre has been wonderful within the early elements of 2022 with the U.S. group. Yunus Musah has additionally been robust. If Berhalter needs an offensive strategy, he begins Adams, Musah, and de la Torre. If he needs a defensive strategy, he’ll begin Adams, Acosta, and both de la Torre or Musah. Musah ought to be extra rested as he was subbed out after the primary half towards Panama. Both choice ought to work, nevertheless.
Pulisic was sensible towards Panama and is the chief of the group. However has he been taxed an excessive amount of this window to start out on this sport? He has been subbed out however has performed 150 of the 180 minutes to date. If he doesn’t play, it will likely be Jordan Morris however proper now Pulisic is enjoying too nicely to not begin (if he’s wholesome). Pulisic may also be a candidate to each begin and be an early sub.
The opposite wing place might be both Tim Weah or Paul Arriola. Weah appears to be a primary group starter however Arriola ought to be rested after solely enjoying a half towards Panama – and Arriola was wonderful in that half with a objective and an help. Arriola additionally brings a defensive chunk to his sport that’s helpful on the street.
Heart ahead is hard to foretell. Jesus Ferreira went 90 minutes towards Panama and was exhausted and cramping on the finish. Ricardo Pepi has been struggling for the group since final 12 months and Jordan Pefok had a brutal outing off the bench towards Mexico the place he shanked the very best probability of the sport and accomplished only one move over half-hour. It appears potential Berhalter will flip to Pefok or Pepi to rebuild confidence, however which one? Pefok’s difficulty is that except his group can frequently get the ball into the field, he can disappear from video games. It may be a tricky stage for him in San Jose.
Predicted USMNT XI: Steffen; A. Robinson, Zimmerman, M. Robinson, Cannon; Adams, Acosta, Musah; Pulisic, Arriola; Pepi
So much can change and, except for Reyna, abdomen bug influence on particular gamers isn’t public. In order that makes it exhausting, however Berhalter will probably need to area a robust XI based mostly on what he has seen on this camp. Ought to the U.S. group look protected early within the second half, Berhalter might make sweeping modifications along with his subs.
World Cup qualifying finale
Lastly, the sport towards Costa Rica might be bittersweet. This would be the U.S. group’s ultimate World Cup qualifier for about seven years provided that the U.S., Mexico, and Canada might be cohosting the 2026 match.
However even when that point comes later within the decade, the format may very well be massively completely different. By that point, the World Cup could have expanded to 48 groups and CONCACAF could have six spots. A single desk match just like the Hexagonal over the previous 30 years, or the Octagon this cycle will probably not make a lot sense. Maybe having a multi-table format like Europe or Africa may make extra sense.
If that occurs, the highest groups within the area will probably be put in numerous tables. That may probably see clashes between the area’s greatest groups turn into restricted to the Gold Cup or Nations League versus World Cup qualifying.
Among the most iconic moments in U.S. nationwide group historical past have come within the single desk codecs towards robust groups similar to Mexico or the Costa Rican groups over the previous decade.
Wednesday evening’s sport is absolutely the tip of an necessary chapter for the U.S. group and shifting ahead, it’ll elevate the query of how the group performs significant video games except for the World Cup each 4 years (for now). Will the Gold Cup and Nations League be sufficient within the absence of intense World Cup qualifiers towards the highest groups of the area? Can the U.S. group take part in tournaments just like the Copa America with out the “guest team” limitations which have made taking part prior to now to troublesome?
These are questions that may must be addressed as this period ends tonight.
