The penultimate day of CONCACAF’s Final Round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup could see the region’s two remaining automatic spots locked in, or more likely, heat up the drama for the final matchday on Oct. 10.
Here’s a preview of the three Hex matches set for Friday, Oct. 6:
USA vs. Panama, Presented by Volpi Foods
Orlando City Stadium; Orlando, Fla.
7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Univision & UDN
USA Roster | Panama Roster
All-Time Record: USA leads 12-1-6
All-Time WCQ Record: USA leads 5-0-2
Last WCQ Meeting: 1-1 draw on March 28, 2017 in Panama City
The most consequential encounter of the night comes first in USA-Panama, presented by Volpi Foods. Just a point separates third-place Panama from the MNT, making a win for either side as good as gold. A U.S. victory would put Bruce Arena’s side two points clear of Los Canaleros heading into Matchday 10 and a visit to sixth-place Trinidad & Tobago. But if Panama is able to flip the coin with an upset victory, they would actually punch their ticket to Russia and the country’s first World Cup berth.
The U.S. holds a sizable all-time advantage against the Central American nation, going 11-1-6 all-time and 5-0-2 in World Cup Qualifying. One of those five wins came on the last day of the Hex in 2013, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson tallied two stoppage time strikes to hand the already-qualified U.S. team a 3-2 victory and eliminate Panama from World Cup contention in the process. Ever since that meeting the two sides have been even keel, playing to four 1-1 draws – three in Gold Cup play and one qualifier earlier this year in Panama City.
A typically physical side, Arena indicated he expects defensive, counter-attacking tactics from his opposite number Hernan Dario Gomez when the teams meet in Orlando.
“I think they’ll be very aggressive coming at us – fouling, looking to get out on the break and trying to create some chances off restarts,” he said. “They’ll be tough to play against. We have to have a good mentality in that game, be very aggressive going forward, try to get a goal and make Panama chase the game.”
For his part, Gomez is experienced in the rigors of World Cup Qualifying. Having led his home nation to France ’98 and Ecuador to Korea/Japan four years later, the Colombian savant is on the cusp of joining a very small club of international managers to qualify three different countries to the World Cup.
Clearly proud of what his team has been able to achieve this cycle, the man nicknamed “El Bolillo” (“The Baton”) is experienced enough to know that nothing has yet been accomplished.
Speaking to reporters following the team’s 3-0 away win at Trinidad & Tobago on Sept. 5, Gomez said, “…if we don’t get the results in our next matchdays it’s as if we did nothing today."
The Lowdown: A U.S. win puts the MNT in the driver’s seat as it finishes the Hex in Trinidad & Tobago, while a Panama victory sees Los Canaleros through to its first World Cup. A draw in USA-Panama would mean all three games on Matchday 10 will have massive implications for third and fourth place.
SUSPENSIONS
USA – none
PAN – none
CAUTION WATCH
USA – Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey, DeAndre Yedlin
PAN – Abdiel Arroyo, Edgar Barcenas, Harold Cummings, Erick Davis, Ismael Diaz, Anibal Godoy, Gabriel Gomez, Michael Murillo, Luis Ovalle, Valentin Pimentel, Alberto Quintero
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Estadio Alfonso Lastras; San Luis, Mexico
9:30 p.m. ET; FS1, Univision & UDN
Mexico Roster | Trinidad & Tobago Roster
All-Time Record: Mexico leads 13-3-5
All-Time WCQ Record: Mexico leads 7-3-2
Last WCQ Meeting: 1-0 Mexico win on March 28, 2017 in Port of Spain
With Mexico already qualified and Trinidad & Tobago only holding a slim shot at finishing fourth, this match is the least consequential of the trio of games. Perhaps with that in mind, the Mexican Federation has elected to host the match at the 25,000-seat Estadio Alfonso Lastras in San Luis, rather than the much larger capacity Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The match marks the first time since 2012 that El Trí will play a qualifier away from the country’s de facto national stadium.
Though Mexico is already qualified, head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has still summoned a strong roster as El Trí looks to win its first Hex since the 1998 cycle. With plenty of players still competing for a place on next year’s World Cup roster, Mexico will be heavy favorites against a Trinidad & Tobago side that has won only once in its eight Hex matches. Things also may come easier for Mexico as Soca Warriors coach Dennis Lawrence elected to call up a more experimental team after his side was all but eliminated from qualifying last month.
The Lowdown: A Mexico win would all but clinch the Hex for El Trí, while a Trinidad victory would rank among their biggest in qualifying and serve as a nice consolation for a lost campaign.
SUSPENSIONS
MEX – none
TRI – Sheldon Bateau
CAUTION WATCH
MEX – Oswaldo Alanis, Javier Aquino, Juergen Damm, Jesús Dueñas, Jesús Gallardo, Hector Herrera, Miguel Layun, Hector Moreno, Luis Reyes, Carlos Salcedo, Jorge Torres, Carlos Vela
TRI – Radanfah Abubakr, Kenwyne Jones, Joevin Jones, Carlyle Mitchell, Kevin Molino, Leston Paul, Willis Plaza, Jan Michael Williams, Jomal Williams, Mekeil Williams
Costa Rica vs. Honduras
Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica
10 p.m. ET; beIN Sports, UNIVERSO
Costa Rica Roster | Honduras Roster
All-Time Record: Costa Rica leads 21-18-20
All-Time WCQ Record: Honduras leads 10-5-7
Last WCQ Meeting: 1-1 draw on March 28, 2017 in San Pedro Sula
Though Mexico were already qualified, they kept things quite interesting for the teams still duking it out for spots by playing to a 1-1 draw at Costa Rica on Matchday 8. That result left Los Ticos still needing one more point in order to clinch qualification as they welcome fifth-place Honduras to Estadio Nacional on Oct. 6.
While all but certain of making it to the World Cup, Costa Rica head coach Oscar Ramirez has also called a strong team to see out Los Ticos’ qualifying campaign and in turn, confront a Honduras side that will need to claw for every point it can get.
Of the three teams still vying for the third automatic qualifying place, Honduras has the toughest road because of their placement and highly negative goal differential, and also because of their schedule. Los Catrachos will need to aim to win at Costa Rica and home to Mexico on Matchday 10, and even if they do they’ll still need help along the in order to figure into either third or fourth place.
Making things more difficult for the visitors is the fact they’ll be without suspended defensive stalwarts Jorge Claros and Henry Figueroa. While the deck may be stacked against Honduras, they’ve historically been able to get results in tough moments, and with the game’s late kickoff they’ll have the benefit of knowing what transpired in the USA-Panama clash earlier in the night.
The Lowdown: A Costa Rica win or draw puts them in Russia, while a Honduras win would push them at least to fourth place.
SUSPENSIONS
CRC – Francisco Calvo
HON – Jorge Claros, Henry Figueroa
CAUTION WATCH
CRC – Christian Bolaños, Joel Campbell, Crisitan Gamboa, David Guzman, Ronald Matarrita, Bryan Oviedo, Bryan Ruiz, Jose Salvatierra, Michael Umaña, Marcos Ureña, Kendall Waston
HON – Wilmer Crisanto, Carlos Discua, Alberth Elis, Maynor Figueroa, Luis Garrido, Eddie Hernandez, Emilio Izaguirre, Alfredo Mejia, Oliver Morazan, Johnny Palacios
