Did Usa Make The World Cup

Information technology says something about the U.Due south. men's national squad that members were disappointed by Tuesday's 1–1 Earth Cup qualifying depict in Jamaica. Points are tough to come by on the route in Concacaf, but this young squad doesn't put a cap on its confidence, expectations or ambition.

"I felt like nosotros could've won every game then far in qualifying," midfielder and de facto captain Tyler Adams said in Kingston.

But it also says something about the Americans that they haven't—that they struggled to impose themselves on a less talented Reggae Boyz squad and may have been fortunate to escape with a point. Although the U.S. took an early on lead on a goal by Tim Weah, the hosts replied with a breathtaking strike from Due west Ham United's Michail Antonio, then successfully bypassed the U.South. press with a series of long balls before nearly winning the game with a belatedly header that was ruled out by the referee.

Qualifying is a roller coaster, charabanc Gregg Berhalter said. So was the necktie in Kingston and the November window at large, which began with final calendar week's ii-0 dismantling of Mexico in Cincinnati. That isn't merely coach speak. It's an accurate assessment. The U.S. is now simply past the midpoint of Concacaf's Octagonal, which will send the top three finishers directly to the Qatar World Loving cup and an additional side to an intercontinental playoff.

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter — Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

It's been almost all ups and downs, from the lows of the frustrating domicile draw with Canada, Weston McKennie's September suspension and the whole team's awful nighttime in Panama, to the historic highs of that brilliant second half in Honduras, the comeback against Costa Rica and and so the side by side-generation "Dos a Cero" in Cincinnati. Through it all, Berhalter has started thirty different players and given 26 their World Cup qualifying debut. It'due south been a struggle at times, and the 4-1-3 record could, and maybe should, be better. Just it's also quite an achievement for a young squad that's learning equally it goes. Toss in the fact that the Americans so oftentimes take the field without many of their highest-profile players (Gio Reyna and Sergiño Dest missed this month'south games and a recovering Christian Pulisic was a 2nd-half substitute), and in that location are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, or at to the lowest degree satisfied, with the operation so far.

The U.S. is in second place with 6 qualifiers remaining, and it's on pace to accomplish Qatar.

"I think we're on the right rail," Berhalter said in Kingston. "[Nosotros're] basically having to become the guys experience on the fly. We're playing an Olympic-historic period squad. The boilerplate age again was Olympic-eligible—22 [and 341 days]. It'southward actually learning as you go, and the guys take done a great job adapting to that. Nosotros've had very potent home performances. We've gotten five points on the road already, in four games.

"We'll employ the winter and spring of '22 to hopefully get qualification, but the guys have been great," the manager connected. "When I await at the yr of '21 in full general, you know nosotros lifted two trophies. We're in the position where we want to exist (in) World Cup qualifying. We've won sixteen games already [tying the single-year U.S. record]. The guy have washed a great job. Information technology'southward all down to them and their commitment to the program."

But like the response to Tuesday'due south necktie, there should exist a scrap of concern woven in to the optimistic outlook. Second place is expert. It'south also somewhat treacherous. Although there's now some separation between the top four and bottom 4 in the Octagonal, the U.Due south. is but i point above fourth place, which would mean a one-game, neutral-site playoff against a team from S America, Asia or Oceania next June (the describe is November. 26). A worst-case scenario of a trip to Qatar, a potential site, for a winner-accept-all game confronting the likes of Uruguay or Japan with a World Cup booth on the line is hovering over the horizon.

Among the six games remaining for the U.S. are the iii that arguably are the toughest on the Octagonal schedule: at Canada on Jan. thirty, and then at Mexico (March 24) and at Republic of costa rica (March 30). The Canadians are vastly improved and undefeated in qualifying, and the difficulty of winning in Mexico Urban center and San José is long established. The U.S. is a combined 0-21-4 in World Cup qualifiers in those ii inhospitable cities. And so the margin for fault at home is pretty much gone, and a point or 2 on the road very well may be necessary as well. At that place's still a lot of work left to do.

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Tyler Adams and the USMNT beat Mexico in World Cup qualifying — Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports

"When we look at the table, nosotros're patently nonetheless in a good position with games to be played still," Adams said. "Nosotros accept a lot home games coming upwards. So in this next window, it'southward going to be super important we proceed to win our home games and get points on the road when we can. But yes, we just need to go on winning as many games every bit possible."

The location of those three domicile qualifiers is nonetheless be determined. The plan for the January/February window depends on Canada and where information technology chooses to host the match that's in the middle of the three games. Berhalter and U.South. Soccer want to minimize travel, peculiarly for players based in Europe, and then would adopt to cluster the home games against El Salvador and Honduras every bit shut every bit reasonably possible to the Canada game. But there'southward still no official word almost whether Canada plans to make the U.Due south. come up west to Vancouver or Edmonton (the site of Tuesday'due south frigid win over United mexican states), or whether information technology'll opt for the Toronto/Hamilton area.

On Wednesday, The Washington Postal service reported that Hamilton'southward Tim Hortons Field was the leading candidate. If that's the instance, the U.Southward. probable volition stick to the center/southeast of the country for its 2 home dates. The U.Due south. Soccer Federation has a plan A and B. The choice hinges on Canada'southward. Sports Illustrated is pending clarification from Concacaf concerning what deadline, if whatever, the Canadian Soccer Association must run into.

Before and then, Berhalter and the actor puddle will be decorated. It may feel like information technology'southward time to exhale with the Octagonal'south midpoint reached, the holidays upon us and the next qualifying window ii months abroad. But there's no real interruption. While the European seasons keep, Berhalter volition bring a collection of domestic-based players to Southern California for a December. 5-18 camp that'll conclude with a friendly confronting Bosnia-Herzegovina at the LA Milky way's Dignity Health Sports Park. Information technology'll be a chance for established national team players similar Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Matt Turner, Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, Sebastian Lletget, Cristian Roldan, MLS Young Player of the Year Ricardo Pepi and others to stay fit and fresh. It'll besides give Berhalter the chance to aggrandize the pool ahead of 2022 with the likes of D.C. United's Kevin Paredes, the New York Ruby-red Bulls' Caden Clark, the San Jose Earthquakes' Cade Cowell and Louisville City'south Jonathan Gomez among the youngsters who might get a wait.

USMNT's Paul Arriola, Miles Robinson and Kellyn Acosta — Joe Camporeale/The states TODAY Sports

Presently afterward New year's, the U.S. will be dorsum together for some other MLS-heavy camp, possibly in the Phoenix area (the site hasn't been confirmed). When the qualifying window opens toward the end of January, MLS men who aren't role of Berhalter's Octagonal plans will brand way for players arriving from Europe. It'south obviously difficult to tell what the U.S. roster will look similar at that point, in big function because players' health and availability accept been and then unpredictable. The good news for Berhalter is that additional talent has emerged over the past 3 months. It wasn't long ago that Robinson, Pepi, Yunus Musah, Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah, for example, were unproven or closer to the periphery of the qualifying picture. Now they're cadre players.

Berhalter has fielded 8 unlike starting lineups beyond the eight qualifiers so far. Information technology's no easy task to establish a foundation, gain the requisite experience and encounter who's up to the qualifying task while it's all going on. Some stumbles should exist expected. Knowing that, and even while lamenting that, the U.Southward. is mostly satisfied about where it stands.

"The first window was a major learning experience for u.s.a., in terms of how to mentally prepare for these three games and get through the travel and everything—we needed that window. And we got 5 points, went undefeated. But nosotros dipped below two points per game, and then the next two windows nosotros maintained the two-points-per-game ratio and that's pretty skillful. That's pretty good, man, when you recollect about the youth of this group, the inexperience of this group in Concacaf qualifying," Berhalter explained.

"In that location'southward ups and downs of qualifying. Nosotros talk about the roller coaster that it is," he continued. "But nosotros just kept slowly and steadily climbing. Been happy with most of the domicile performances, or the late home performances. We've washed really well. Our road record is pretty much like expected. Nosotros would've loved to have had that one point in Panama. Only we've been resilient and this group has graphic symbol. It's a actually fun group to work with and we're on the right track."

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