For the first time since 1986, the United States has failed to qualify for the World Cup with a loss to the tiny dual-island Caribbean nation.
Christian Pulisic reacts to USA’s loss to Trinidad and Tobago Credit: Getty
The soccer World Cup is the most televised and followed sporting event in the world. It is held every four years and every country has to qualify for the event. The qualifications are divided into six regions by continental regions. The United States belonged to the North, Central American and Caribbean section of the qualifications or as shortened CONCACAF.
The group stage of qualification in CONCACAF was divided to three brackets A, B, and C. The USA belonged to the C group along Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The USA won its own group stage and advanced to the fifth and final round of the qualification for the World Cup of Soccer in Russia in 2018.
From the fifth round of qualifiers, three teams earn a straight spot to the World Cup. The fourth country advances to playoffs, from where they can still win their way to the World Cup in Russia 2018. Each country plays against each other twice, once home and away. Every country gets 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie; if you lose you don’t get any points.
The USA opened its qualifications home against Mexico. They gathered 1pt from the group winners.
The USA’s second opponent was Costa Rica. US gathered 0pts from the second place finisher in the group.
The US’s third opponent was Honduras. They gathered 4pts from the 4th place finisher in the group.
USA’s fourth opponent was Panama. USA gathered 4pts from the 3rd place finisher and the last one to earn a straight place to the World Cup in Russia 2018.
The USA’s fifth and last opponent was Trinidad and Tobago. USA gathered only 3pts from the last place finisher of the group.
After qualifying for the past seven World Cups, this might be considered as a disaster. It is, to a certain extent, but soccer is still a growing sport in the United States. Let’s remember that from 1954-1986, the US didn’t qualify for nine straight World Cups. With the success from the past decades, we can say that soccer is a quickly growing sport in the US. Furthermore, with the enormous population, soccer definitely has a bright future here.
