OT - US MNT WCQ vs. Antigua and Barbuda
Tonight is the start of our march back to the World Cup as we have our first match in the third round of 2014 WCQ matches. We play Antigua and Barbuda at 7 on ESPN. With Euro 2012 starting today as well, it's been a great day for soccer. Don't know much about our opponent, but I'm expecting a win. We're in a group with A&B, Jamaica, and Guatemala. We'll play two matches against each opponent and it will finish around October. Top two teams advance. Excited to get started!
Game is at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Hopefully we have another good home crowd showing like we did in Jacksonville.
This should be an interesting one to watch due to the weather. About a half hour from the start, it's just an absolute torrential downpour here. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see a delay in the start due to lightning.
Don't know much about our opponent, but I'm expecting a win.
Good prediction. Antigua and Barbuda has just over 80,000 residents. Gotta love how international soccer gives us these matchups.
If it weren't for the lightning, I think it'd probably be pretty fun. Even with the rain it's going to stay pretty warm.
So Barbuda is an actual place and not a typo?
Despite my Barbudan ignorance, I do not need to spend any more time on Sporcle. Do you know the 5 European capitals with four letters? Because I do now.
Bern, Oslo, Rome... uh, Utah... and Bern?
Riga, Kiev
Yeah, Barbuda is real but pretty sleepy little island. Nice beaches, a bird sanctuary but very little commercial development. One of those places that feels like you've reached the end of the world.
When you say the top two teams advance, what do they advance to? The World Cup? Or is there another round of qualifying?
Sorry, my soccer knowledge goes only a little past AYSO.
There are four rounds in WCQ for CONCACAF (which is our equivalent of UEFA). We had a bye for the first two rounds. There are three groups in the third round and the top two teams in each group advance to round four. So that's six teams are in the group for round four and each team plays each other twice and the top three teams advance ot the WC in Brazil.
Dont' worry. I had to wikipedia it as this is my first time paying attention to WCQ.
The next round of qualifying. Right now there are 12 teams in three groups, each playing a double round robin. Top two teams in each advance to what's traditionally been called the hexagonal. Of those six, three will make the World Cup and the fourth will play the top team in Oceania, which is almost certain to be New Zealand, for another World Cup berth.
Thanks to both of you. My wife's family is from Guatemala, and I know their soccer team is pretty bad, but I wanted to follow it to see what chance they have at going to the WC. From what I understand, their chances aren't very good.
I was in Guat in January of 2011. Antigua and Lake Atitlan are the bomb! Bought a jersey and I'm following them as well.
Off-topic but let's not anoint New Zealand yet. They just lost to New Caledonia in the semifinals of the OFC Nations Cup.
Why does that matter asks casual soccer fan? The OFC Nations Cup winner (New Caledonia or Tahiti) will be in the Confederations Cup next year. Imagine Tahiti having to go up against Spain or Brazil...
This is the third round of qualifying which consists of 3 groups of 4 teams. The top 2 teams from each group advance to the fourth round of qualifying which is a single group of 6 teams. The top 3 teams from that group advance to the World Cup with the 4th place team facing a playoff against the champion of Oceania for a WC spot.
Wow. Jose Torres at left back. This will be interesting.
And you guys weren't kidding about the rain.
I don't know how this will work. He like to sit centrally so I wonder how he will play at LB.
Clint looks unhappy LOL
That is not always a bad thing for the US.
When is this game going to start? TVGuide said 7 and it's now 7:10. I'm not here to watch an hour introduction. My ice cubes have already half melted.
~Herm
There was a weather delay. The players came out to warmup later than expected.
It's worth mentioning that this is our first international match other than friendlies under Klinsmann. The official end of his warm-up period, so to speak.
like 4-0
and to cap-tie boyd
I say it again. Please cap tie boyd tonight.
I would also like to cap-tie Danny Williams, but he is injured.
because this is the game we should be able to cap tie in when the result isn't in doubt
I'm hoping they ignite the cannon if we score. It'll make us seem even more piraty along with our jersey.
Bocanegra!!!
Bocs!!!!!!!
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boca.
The captain taps in a rebound off a corner
I know he wasn't hurt, but when Boca came back on after getting his shoe tied, I felt dirty.
Our international soccer chants are lame. I love the team, I love the sport, I love that so many people are willing to go out in the rain and support the team. But our chants leave quite a bit to be desired. The “everywhere we go” chant that makes me think about that Frosted Flakes commercial/ every little league team of all time? Really?
It's not the content, it's the volume. The Barney the dinosaur theme song would sound fine as a chant if you could hear it and had 90,000 people singing it from whistle to whistle. We get into it, but we don't really get into it.
Exactly. I'm glad that people like owl are not in charge of American Outlaws or Sam's Army.
I don’t see why both volume and content/originality can’t be improved. It isn’t anything that bothers me to the point of not watching, just a passing observation.
I don't feel like we're dominating play here, but the corner kick total will certainly be telling a different story.
Gomez plays like a man, glad JK brought him back into the fold. Wouldn't it be great if Altidore played with Gomez's vigor?
Gomez doesn't suffer from the usual lazy striker syndrome. I really like the runs he makes.
Not sure why he didn't shoot when he was "offside"
Ooh, penalty shot!
Dempsey!!! 2-0!!!
I love Duece.
That was THE WORST place on the whole field to take a penalty.
Guy who took Donovan down from behind panicked; there was another defender there. Serious mistake.
Heh heh heh.
LD earns forces the take-down, Dempsey takes the PK. Was that because Dempsey has the better PK? Or is LD shaking-off the take-down?
Hard to say. LD used to take all of the PKs for the USMNT. Maybe Donovan wants his 50th to come from ROP and not on a PK. Who knows.
Well, unless everyone else sucks at PKs, I don't think you want the guy who just got fouled like that to take the shot.