The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

Three points again. Thank goodness.

 

A needed three points considering that visiting Costa Rica is as nailed-on a loss as there is for the US in Concacaf -- its record there is worse than at Azteca. One more win should be enough to qualify given how many points other teams are dropping, but holding serve at home would be even better.

 

With four matches to play, USA has a six-point gap to the fourth-place playoff spot and seven points to non-qualification. And they still play Jamaica at home.

They're all but in.

 

Meet the future, same as the present: Spain's under-21s win a second straight European championship, emulating the seniors and the under-19s.

 

Let's say the US gets at least three points in September, making qualification pretty much a certainty. How should Klinsmann deal with the October qualifiers? Keep the band together in the name of consistency or take one last chance to blood the young'uns with two winnable qualifiers?

 

Does finishing top in the hex give the US a more favorable WC draw?

 

Think it's still based on the past few years' results, rather than group placement. But that said, winning those games will still be better than not winning them.

 

I would mix it up, personally. But that would just to give certain people a chance here and there. Although, the Gold Cup is here so that's where he'll see the potential players perform.

The more immediate question out there is the following two qualifiers. The road game in Costa Rica is difficult and it's followed by a USA home game to Mexico. With the odd rule of two yellows in different games automatically means suspension, Besler is automatically out for Costa Rica. Here is the list of players sitting on a single yellow:
Brad Davis
Brad Evans
Graham Zusi
Tim Howard
Geoff Cameron
Jozy Altidore
Jermaine Jones

A yellow in Costa Rica will mean they can't play against Mexico. Do you sit any of them? All of them? Some of them?

The way I see it, Cameron and Jones are interchangeable, almost. So one of them will play. If Klinsmann sees Jones as more valuable, he plays Cameron.

I believe Howard plays. Keepers don't usually get cards and Guzan played excellently in Mexico.

I'm not worried about Brad Davis nor Brad Evans.

I might sit Zusi and Altidore.

 

Of course, if the U.S. is holding out for a point, or even a win, that's the situation in which Howard is most likely to get a card. But if he doesn't play, are they less likely to be in that scenario.

Etc.

 

If the USMNT wins at Costa Rica and Mexico and Honduras draw that should book the flight to Brazil.

 

Almost certainly not. Traditionally, the draw is formed from four 'pots,' only one of which are 'seeded' teams, which include the host and seven countries picked for their FIFA ranking and previous WC success (at this point, probably Spain, Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, England and maybe Portugal).

The other three pots are by region to ensure two non-European teams from the same continent can't be in the same group.

In the last two World Cups, with one small exception, the pots were 1. Seeds, 2. Asia, Oceania and CONCACAF, 3. S. America and Africa; 4. Rest of Europe.