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.

 

 

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aiglick

September 7th, 2013 at 12:23 AM ^

I actually thought the team played pretty well after the first 20-25 minutes of the first half. They were really taking it to Costa Rica and almost came up with an equalizer a couple of times. At least they fought and maybe they'll use the experience to improve.

Joined: 11/27/2010

MGoPoints: 21521

chatster

September 7th, 2013 at 8:31 AM ^

Losing Michael Bradley due to what appears to have been a serious ankle injury minutes before the start of the match might’ve been the crushing blow for the USMNT.  Senator, Geoff Cameron is no Michael Bradley.  (Bradley left the stadium on crutches and is scheduled for an MRI today.)
 
This was an overall sub-par performance by the USMNT, but we shouldn’t forget that the USMNT never has won in Costa Rica.
 
Another streak continues.  In eighteen men’s national team matches this year, including the record-breaking 12-game winning streak between June 2 and August 14, the United States has not used the same starting lineup in two consecutive games. Only six players who saw action in the 4-3 win in Sarajevo on August 14 saw action last night.  Losing Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron due to yellow-card accumulations* for Tuesday’s match with Mexico will keep THAT streak alive.  Losing Jozy Altidore for a similar violation might mean that Aron Johannson will get a chance to start against Mexico on Tuesday in that city down south.
 
* At some point, FIFA and CONCACAF are going to have to reconsider the yellow-card-accumulations rule.  Maybe they’ll take a page from the NCAA.  Accumulate two yellow cards and you’ll miss only the first half of the next game.  They could call it the Manziel-Y-NO Rule.

Joined: 09/14/2010

MGoPoints: 26926