World Cup qualifiers

[NFFrog]

Both the US and Canada have qualifiers tonight. Both in the cold. Canada plays Honduras in Hamilton and USA plays El Salvador in Columbus. Pretty nice weather for Hamilton as temps should still be in the 20s all game. Columbus is a couple of degrees warmer--mid-hi 20s. USA meets Canada in Hamilton in a few days.

Davies is sadly suffering from COVID-related myocarditis. Even so Honduras has been terrible so far. El Salvador is better but are still underdogs against USA, I think..

[Boston Frog]

I'm just hoping Michail Antonio won't play too much (or at all) for Jamaica

[Lyle Lanley III]

I never really played soccer growing up, so my technical understanding of the game is still relatively limited even as I've started to watch matches on TV occasionally. As I'm told, it's a good thing that the USMNT has more players involved with European-based clubs than they used to. Really hope they don't miss out on qualifying this time around.

[SFAFrog]

I wish I had been at school today. Half of my students aren’t from Honduras and Salvador. They are all soccer crazed, even though their teams suck now.

[NFFrog]

usa, mex, can all win. 1st time can has beat honduras at home since 1985 (and second time ever).

Canada goalie made 1 incredible and one very good save.

Canada game was in Honduras not Hamilton. Sorry about the wrong info. USA-Can in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon. Should be a great game. Forecast is high teens F w/ maybe some snow squalls.

[RSK]

The best result of the night was Costa Rica beating Panama. That puts some distance between the top 3 and the 4th spot.

[NFFrog]

Correct.

[Vlade Divac]

This is Canada's generational team. Huge that they'll qualify. I hope that they're here to stay.

USA and Mexico will qualify barring a massive collapse. I'm slightly nervous that we still have to play Canada and Mexico again, and our last two are against Panama and Costa Rica who will be slugging it out for the #4 spot. I'm still confident that this USA team qualifies. While the scores haven't been anything to instill much confidence, the quality of play is soooooo much better than anything I've seen from the USA in my lifetime.

I think we're going to get some Pepi magic on Sunday in Hamilton.

And don't sleep on Daryl Dike. I'd like to see him make the squad for the March fixtures.

[Boston Frog]

Best US team I can remember was by far 2002. Landon Donovan, Brian McBride, Joe-Max Moore, Earnie Stewart, Brad Friedel between the sticks and, yes, Gregg Berhalter. Narrowly lost the quarter-final 1-0 to Germany when Torsten Frings, standing on the goal line, blocked Tony Sanneh's shot with his hand. Beat Figo and Portugal in the group stages. Fantastic run.

[NFFrog]

"play is soooooo much better than anything I've seen from the USA in my lifetime."

Then there's Canada (the men, that is) which has been an absolute laughing stock forever including the last World Cup rounds. They would have lost to any actually good junior team around the world most every time.

About 30 years ago soccer started getting money and support in part cuz hockey got so ridiculously expensive and less popular with parents for other reasons as well. In addition, I think immigration has helped on the soccer front as well as the next generation grows up. Finally after all those decades there's a good nucleus of continental and international players plus some up and coming genuine international superstars still in their early 20s. (i.e., Davies/David).

Borjan has really taken over at goalie making absolutely critical near-impossible stops on several occasions like in the Mexico and the Honduras games.

[Boston Frog]

1-0 Canada early, Cyle Larin

I think his first name is the call letters of a Canadian radio station

Can't stay around for much more as I need to go help my in-laws clear snow

[NFFrog]

very nice play

[NFFrog]

Canada scores again in stoppage time to win game 2-nil.

[Boston Frog]

Really good Canadian team

[NFFrog]

As best I can tell from the US coach, USA won.

Sheesh.

[Duquesne Frog]

Using this as the catchall footy thread... according to this guy Boston Frog, you are a first-rate twat.

[Boston Frog]

As they song says, we are those bastards in claret & blue ... so he's not wrong

And he's right about Tottenham

[MercenaryLibrarian]

Buddy of mine posted that earlier. I just laughed when I got to Spurs.

[Boston Frog]

Great if you want to freeze your Hondurass off

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[NFFrog]

The kinda' funny thing is a lot of USA commentators I've read are calling Canada unfair for making the USA play in weather over 20F warmer.

Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, though, as we all know.

[Boston Frog]

Did they really say that? A lot of American soccer commentators are morons. And we've been making the Latin American countries play in the cold for years.

[Boston Frog]

US up 3-0 on Honduras

So the score is US 3, Honduras 0, degrees 2

More US goals than degrees

[NFFrog]

Apparently some of the Hondurans got hypothermia.

Why back in the old days in Duluth, we used to play broomball at -20 wearing just a sweatshirt. ...well pants, shoes, hat and gloves too.

[Boston Frog]

Boo freakin' hoo, Hondurans

[RSK]

It was an ass kicking.


Now flipping between Mexico and Canada games...both in Spanish.


Canada pretty sluggish. Must be too warm for them.

[Duquesne Frog]

Fortunately, Trinidad and Tobago aren't in the field this year.

[RSK]

No lightweights left on the schedule for USA in the final window. Mexico and Costa Rica on the road, Panama at home. A win over Panama should clinch things.

[Boston Frog]

That's a nervous finish, though. Nothing guaranteed. I guess we'll play Panama in Greenland or something. We bought Greenland, right?