There's only one Conor Casey
I’m not going to talk about Conor Casey this morning. The US qualified for the World Cup last night by getting a victory on the road, behind two goals from Casey. If you had suggested that scenario to me yesterday prior to the 10 PM kickoff, I would have asked to borrow some of whatever you’d been smoking.
But, full credit to the team, I’m happy for them and thrilled that they’ve qualified. It makes Wednesday’s match against Costa Rica a bit more simple for Bradley. It will be a must-win situation for Costa Rica, though, so it will be interesting to see the eleven picked to start the match for the US, as a desperate opponent will likely play with a bit more intensity than will need to be exhibited by the US side.
Mexico also qualified out of CONCACAF yesterday as they defeated El Salvador 4-1. Since waving goodbye to Sven Goran Erikkson awhile back, Mexico has been on quite a roll under Javier Aguirre.
The final spots to be determined will be between Costa Rica and Honduras. Costa Rica, as previously mentioned, must travel to play the United States. A draw in that match could hurt them as at this point, Honduras is plus 5 in goal differential, while Costa Rica is currently even on goal differential. A victory over the US secures third place for them. For Honduras, they will visit old rivals El Salvador. They need to win the match outright, obviously, and hope for either a draw or loss for Costa Rica. If they finish fourth, where they stand now, they will be slotted into the “playoff” spot against the 5th place side from CONMEBOL (currently Uruguay).
Ordinarily, I’d have a television lineup for you, but after looking over the guide, it appears that the only live match of note is a women’s college match between ancient rivals Loyola-Chicago and Texas A&M. What a brutal rivalry that is.
Have a great Sunday, everyone.
