USMNT at Costa Rica WCQ open thread

Submitted by Yeoman on

US vs. Costa Rica in San Jose, 10 pm EDT.

TV: Bein Sport

Lineups:

US: Howard, Beasley, Johnson, Orozco, Besler, Gonzalez, Jones, BradleyCameron, Zusi, Dempsey, Donovan

Costa Rica: Navas, Umana, Oviedo, Gamboa, Gonzalez, Acosta, Borges, Bolanos, Tejeda, Ruiz, Campbell

Also tonight: Honduras at Mexico, Jamaica at Panama

CONCACAF Qualifying standings through 6 matches (of 10):

  1. USA 13 +4
  2. Costa Rica 11 +4
  3. Mexico 8 +1
  4. Honduras 7 -1
  5. Panama 6 -2
  6. Jamaica 2 -6

Top three teams qualify for 2014 WC, fourth place team must win a 2-leg playoff against New Zealand to get in.

Ed: Last minute lineup change. Bradley scratched with ankle sprain sufered in warmup.

 

 

Yeoman

September 6th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^

on ESPN News. Kickoff at 9:30 EDT.

Mexico has drawn five of six matches in this round; four were scoreless. If they don't get a win tonight they could be in real trouble, incredibly. They still have to go to Costa Rica and the US, and they've already played their two matches with the doormat, Jamaica.

Honduras is only one point behind them, and after tonight they have two home matches and one match at Jamaica. If they can even manage a draw tonight there's a real chance they could make up the point and snatch that last half-spot.

M Fanfare

September 6th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^

To give you an idea of the atmosphere tonight, Bob Ley tweeted yesterday that fans would not be admitted with coins in their pockets or disposable batteries in their cameras.

Needs

September 6th, 2013 at 9:38 PM ^

bein sports paid some incredible amount for the rights to the non-Mexico Concacaf nations to get the US away qualifiers. The US federation has no control over the TV package and I'm sure Costa Rica, et al, were not concerned about making it difficult for Americans to see the away quals.

Does suck, though. firstrow, etc.

Yeoman

September 6th, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^

Rights have to be bargained with the hosting confederation, or whichever broadcaster they decided to assign the rights to.

It's hard to believe they couldn't outbid BeIn, but I'm sure it was easier to to buy the whole Mexico-at-home package than to bargain with five different outfits for one-offs.

I'm glad the US is on TV at all (and even happier that we just got BeIn added to Time Warner a couple of weeks ago).

MichiganTeacher

September 6th, 2013 at 9:34 PM ^

Not sure I'm confident in Orozco. I believe Brad Evans is hurt, but I'm wondering about Parkhurst, maybe, or... I don't know. Also interesting that Jozy is a sub - probably because of the hamstring.

On another note, I've been in San Jose during a WCQ match for the Ticos. I wasn't in the stadium or even near it, but yeah, the atmosphere is unreal. You can barely walk down the street without people dancing into you. There are giant Costa Rica flags everywhere, often held spread out overhead on the sidewalks by people on either side so that you are basically walking through a tunnel of fans and flags. Crazy.

MichiganTeacher

September 6th, 2013 at 9:48 PM ^

Wow maybe Mexico is going to start turning things around. I wouldn't mind them winning tonight so they're not quite as desperate when they come up here next week. On the other hand, we can clinch tonight if Mexico draws and Jamaica wins or draws.

MichiganTeacher

September 6th, 2013 at 10:01 PM ^

That sucks. Mostly I just hope his ankle is ok. He is our MVP. We are seriously degraded without him going forward. Really hope this is just a short-term thing.

Needs

September 6th, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^

Penalty!!!

Great quick free kick by Zusi. 

I guess the ref said that Johnson didn't have control of the ball when the keeper fouled him, b/c otherwise that's a straight red.

Dempsey shakily converts after a lot of persnickity ref stuff.

aiglick

September 6th, 2013 at 10:52 PM ^

Love the team staying in this. Let's keep a clean sheet in the second half and maybe sneak a goal in to come out with a huge tie. Either way much better end to the half than the beginning. Keep going.