Posted on 09/05/2017 9:54:14 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
No es como comienza, sino como termina.
"It is not how it begins, but how it ends." That's the rallying cry broadcast to their fans and the wider world by FENAFUTH, the Honduran soccer federation, this week via its Twitter account, ahead of a simply enormous World Cup qualifying clash with the United States that figures to have a huge influence on which of the two nations will reach Russia 2018.
This is the very definition of a "six-pointer," a match that both sides need to win, but neither can afford to lose. Los Catrachos and their yanqui visitors sit deadlocked in third place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal standings on 8 points apiece, separated only by the hefty goal-differential advantage the US national team built with their 6-0 thrashing of Honduras in San Jose, California back in March.
Tuesday's hosts may fancy their chances at revenge, given that they've turned San Pedro Sula into one of CONCACAF's most imposing away locales. A muggy afternoon kickoff under the tropical sun will crank the heat index up towards the triple-digits in Fahrenheit terms, while past occasions have seen a long, overgrown playing surface and large, loud crowds.
(Excerpt) Read more at lagalaxy.com ...
Looks like they’ll get the point just like I predicted.
You called it.
I’ll take it.
They must win their last two: home against Panama and away at T&T.
No guarantees there.
Thank you thank u
I’ll take it. Again, I can’t believe we can’t find 4 defenders that can play at this level. Omar can’t play 90 minutes without making 3 or 4 huge mistakes. Against CONCACAF or MLS opponents, it’s not fatal. Against the World’s top 10 teams, that is 3 or 4 goals against.
BTW, the ref was a true “homer.” You have to play through that, but he let them just mug Pulisic and Nagby and Beasley. We didn’t get away with much of anything. Not griping, . . . just sayin’.
Good to see Arena still has that horseshoe planted firmly up his rearend.
US gets an important but probably undeserved road point.
If we can’t beat Panama at home and T and T away we don’t deserve to go to Russia.
Great victory, will we end up limping in as the 3rd place CONCACAF team? I mean, Jamaica and Honduras have done that. It’s respectable and not to take from those teams but not very impressive for us.
Saudi Arabia is in the World Cup with their clutch victory over Japan: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1156276/sports
I’m not real enthusiastic about it being held in Russia and Qatar but Russia was a good host for the winter Olympics a few years back. Even Russia’s soccer team though, got busted for substance abuse. That’s pretty bad and it’s rampant in their system.
I am OK with 3rd. The way FIFA rigs the “draw” LOL for the Groups, it doesn’t make much difference. The years we owned Mexico and were highly ranked, we still got the Group of Death and Mexico got a much easier draw. Besides, we ought to be glad just to get to go to Russia. Unless some miracle happens, Group + 1 would be a surprise success. 2002, we beat Mexico in the first knockout game, and we had Germany on the ropes but for a “slow count” by the ref and linesman. Lookong at the personnel on that team, it’s hard to concede that was our high water mark. Sigh. Oldplayer
Thanks for the comment OldPlayer. You are on the mark.
Panama is going to beat T&T and bump the US to 4th. Now Panama is an absolute must win.
http://us.soccerway.com/teams/spain/spain/2137/?ICID=TN_03_03_01
Though a number of draws, according to this, Spain has not lost a World Cup qualifier since 1993. That’s amazing. They’ve long been able to field very good teams but could not make it come together until cerca 2008-2012.
Fascinating, so the group is still fairly wide-open for 3rd-5th, though T and T is a minnow, they did go to that one World Cup.
Argentina drew Venezuela, maybe ARG. will miss the finals.
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