In the last two World Cups, the USMNT has advanced past the group stage, indicating it is at least middle-of-the-pack compared with competitors. But the Yanks are barely alive in World Cup qualifiers, and there are real questions about whether they’ll make it to the 2018 games in Russia. The U.S. suffered a lopsided 2-0 loss to Costa Rica last Friday, then managed a 1-1 draw against Honduras because of a goal in the closing minutes of the match. That tie gave the USMNT a crucial point, but there’s little margin for error moving forward. Head Coach Bruce Arena & Co. sit in fourth place in their qualifying table, which would earn them a playoff match for a chance at the World Cup but not an automatic bid. There’s some hope ahead, as the U.S. will take on Panama, the team directly above it in the standings, next month. But if that match goes awry for the U.S., it won’t be pretty. Over the last three days the hashtag #USMNT has a 42 percent positive score on Social. –Alex Shultz
Republished from 30dB
