The U.S. flamed out of the 2018 World Cup in spectacular fashion on Tuesday night, losing to little Trinidad and Tobago while Honduras and Panama beat Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively. For many soccer fans in America, this will be the first World Cup they’ve lived through without the Americans.
Last night Panama officially reached the first World Cup finals in their history. Accordingly, Panama President Juan Carlos Varela has declared today a national holiday.
In a series of tweets, Varela gave public and private sector workers the day off, and canceled classes for students.
Here's Varela's full quote:
Normally I do not care much for Taylor Twellman as a broadcaster. He sounds like he's arguing with a vaery angry invisible person all the time. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I also think Twellman does good things. His work in concussion prevention is admirable. And then there was the rant Twellman went on after the USA's elimination from World Cup qualification.
I have never seen anyone that angry be that articulate at the same time, so kudos to Taylor Twellman. He said it better than I could have.
$400 million. That’s how much Fox Sports paid to wrestle the English-language World Cup broadcasting rights away from ESPN. That total includes both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but Fox’s plans for the 2018 edition took a massive hit last night when the United States was eliminated from contention by Trinidad and Tobago, a country trumped in population numbers by Hawaii.
Maybe you’ve already heard, but the USMNT will not be going to the World Cup. They’ve been gazumped in the Hex by both Panama and Honduras following the most embarrassing defeat in the history of American sport. But America’s loss is another’s gain, primarily Panama’s, who’ve clinched automatic qualification to Russia.