Would El Tri Do What The USMNT Did Last Night...???

Conventional wisdom says "no..."

For about a 45-minute window last night, CONCACAF was back-and-forth flipworthy television...

Considering what needed to happen for the play-in game in New Zealand with the US, Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica going at it, the ending was nothing short of the 2012 Premier League finish...

To recap, Costa Rica and the US were in to head to Rio for the world title games in 2014. But in the last part of the round robin, the play-in spot was in play...

Here's what the US did to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a "B" team squad that really didn't need to prove anything...
((HT: beINSport))


Now, Mexico travels to New Zealand, but will have to play without Chichirito on yellow accumulation...

Dos A Cero Round Two Gets USMNT Closer To Rio (UPDATE: They're In)

((HT: Univision))

The US Men's National got one step closer to making it to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after knocking off El Tri in front of a lottery-drawn 24,000-plus at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

The game could have filled a good part of the Big House over at tOSU, but the intimacy of the rowdy crowd gave the red, white, and blue their position at the top of the ladder in an automatic qualifier spot in their CONCACAF group.

Eddie Johnson ruled the air as the USA found their rhythm in set pieces and capitalized here...


There were a lot of concerns with injuries and cards taking hold of the XI- especially with Bradley missing at the back...

Diskerud hooked up with Donovan for the 2-0 lead and only Clint Dempsey airmailing a PK in stoppage time kept "Dos A Cero" at that score.

So, here was the scene in the locker room as the #USMNT was waiting for a Honduras-Panama result...
((HT: ussoccer Instagram))


A Wilson Palacios goal put the home team up 2-1
((HT: beinSportUS))


Panama scored in the first minute of stoppage time for the 2-2 draw on a great scoop shot from an overlapping Chen...
But that was the final and the US qualifies for World Cup 2014... their 7th bid...

So, the HQ guesses there's only one thing left to say...

USMNT Takes Gold Cup Title Over Panama

((HT: Fox Sports))

After another Brek Shea goal (who thought the HQ would say that regarding the USMNT offense, like, ever...???)- 42 seconds in after being called in as a substitute- the Gold Cup final went to the United States in front of 59,000 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

After only having three goals scored against them leading up to the last game in the tournament, Panama gave up one to Shea after a Landon Donovan whiff in the box.

It was almost 2-nil on this play, which gave banished USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann a coronary


Or several...

Shea got the game-winner against Costa Rica on a feed from Donovan and the two hooked up again in the final- only thing missing was the goal...

Stewart Holden was removed in the 16th minute on a sprained knee injury and he will be reevaluated after the tournament...

Klinsmann Could Miss Gold Cup Final

((HT: Fox Soccer/CONCACAF))

All for this...


There were conflicting reports after the game as to whether or not USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann was going to miss the Gold Cup FInal Sunday in Chicago- and it came from the CONCACAF press officer himself.

But the bottom line is that a CONCACAF think tank will be putting their collective head together to see whether or not Klinsmann will have committed such a grievous spiking of the ball on the sidelines that he'll miss the winner of Panama-Mexico...

Klinsmann did apologize afterwards for his outburst, but we'll see just how much water it holds...

USMNT Fighting Uphill Vs Costa Rica In Gold Cup Group Finale (But Winning)

((HT: Fox Soccer/CONCACAF))

Okay... something had to give between the USMNT and Costa Rica- both unbeaten in their last seven...

The US dominated time of possession in the first half and had their chances early in the second...
Which included this...


Costa Rica should be playing with ten for the rest of the game, but they're not...
Scoreless in the 63rd minute...

It was a shot on goal outside the box and not a pass...

Nicely done, CONCACAF...

UPDATE: 83rd minute, this happened...


So, for now, the US wins Group C with Costa Rica second and Cuba third to advance

Costa Rican Fans Turn Backs On FIFA, Literally...

((HT: beInSport))

We all know just how bent out of shape the Costa Rican national team and their supporters are after the Snow Bowl in Denver and the team's 1-0 loss to the US Men's National Team...

Here's what happened last night during the entrance of the FIFA flag and playing of their hymn as they waited for the match against Jamaica to begin...


A Costa Rica soccer federation official said that the protest would be made Saturday. Costa Rica has 24 hours to file a written protest with FIFA according to rules of engagement...

Ten minutes into the second half (or the 3:25 mark on the tape), Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto wanted the referee and match commissioner to suspend the game, but U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann made a case for playing on. Play continued and Pinto was angry during and after the game.

"I asked them to stop. They should suspend the ref," Pinto said. "It was an embarrassment. It was an insult to Costa Rica and people coming in here." Pinto said the "legal conditions" for playing were not met, according to Reuters.

"Honestly, it was robbery, a disgrace, I've never played a game in these conditions," Costa Rican midfielder Cristian Bolanos told Reuters. "You couldn't see the ball ... if we had played without snow, we would have won, I am sure."

The points are huge for US Soccer and the three points are integral in the quest to get to Rio and 2014's World Cup...
Analysis below...
((HT: ESPN))

Cuban Soccer Players Defect Before Qualifier

((HT: Sportsnet.ca))

It was a really weird qualifier last night in Toronto as Canada took on Cuba...

And, it also seems, that every single time a Cuban squad plays elsewhere in the northern hemisphere that some of their players really don't want to take advantage of their return ticket to head home after their national job is through.

Three Cuban soccer players are rumored to have defected before the game- leaving their squad with only a starting 11 and nothing more... no substitutions or anything since a fourth player was listed as sick and unable to play.

The HQ guesses that's what happens when you only travel with 15.

FIFA would confirm the defections, but Cuban head coach Alexander Gonzalez took it in stride- as he would have to do unless he wants to get an earful when he gets home.

"As with any Cuban sport team that travels around the world, they're all chasing the American dream," he said. "And it's difficult to try to keep the team together ... Obviously it's a difficult situation for the team and it's tough for me to talk about it."

The US Border Patrol would neither confirm or deny the defections and/or any border crossing by the three players.

Canada won the game only 3-0, and a lot of people who were there thought the game could have easily been something like 8-0.

Head coach Stephen Hart talks about a very weird game