This is a tough pill to swallow.
The United States Men’s National Team has been eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup after an unimaginable final day of qualifying. A U.S. loss to Trinidad and Tobago, coupled with victories by both Panama (over Costa Rica) and Honduras (over Mexico) will have the Americans watching next summer’s tournament from a distance.
The United States struggled to find momentum throughout the entire final round of qualifying. After back-to-back losses against Mexico and Costa Rica to start the Hex, the U.S. rebounded with a 6-0 blasting of Honduras at Avaya Stadium. Unfortunately, the team would only win two additional games – vs. Trinidad and Tobago and vs. Panama. Ultimately the team’s inability to pick up points outside of the USA – three total points in five games – was their demise as they fell to T&T on a damp field Tuesday night.
As U.S. Soccer searches for answers, the discussion will surely continue until qualifying starts for the next World Cup. In the meantime, fans of the National Team can follow the U-17 World Cup going on right now. The Americans close out the group stage tomorrow morning against Colombia after defeating host nation India 3-0 and Ghana 1-0 to put themselves in great position to advance to the Round of 16.
