Central America

The USMNT grabbed a point in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday after a tame performance and 1-1 draw in World Cup qualifying against the Reggae Boyz. The real defeat of the day happened to anyone watching the game on Paramount+ that was forced to listen to 90 minutes of horns.

The Jamaica horns from the few hundred fans in attendance were relentless. A limited number of spectators were allowed into National Stadium Independence Park due to Covid protocols. 

At the time of writing this there’s no telling how the rest of the USMNT versus Jamaica in Kingston will play out, but it’s almost guaranteed what will live longest in the memory is Michail Antonio’s 100 mph howitzer from over 25 yards out to pull the Reggae Boyz level in the 22nd minute. 

It’s hard to fault Tyler Adams for showing him inside when the danger level is so low, and it’s impossible to fault Zack Steffen — the ball is in the back of the net before he can even get into his dive animation. 

For many years now, FIFA and PES (now eFootball) have been the one-two punch at the top of the soccer video game world. But while those two franchises flex their big muscles as they quarrel over licensing rights, Football Manager (FM) has quietly stayed on the path and continues to be cherished among intellectually-minded football fans.

Everyone is well-versed in Alphonso Davies’ game-changing pace and ability to dice any defender on the planet off the dribble, but it’s his increasing effectiveness in the final third that makes the 20-year-old standout as one of football’s brightest talents.

That’s not to say it’s a new development in his game. At the tender age of 17 Davies was already one of Major League Soccer’s most devastating players in attack, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in 31 games to help facilitate his $11 million move to Bayern. (He’s now valued at $155 million.)

After the USMNT escaped El Salvador with a 0-0 draw to begin World Cup qualifying, various Twitter accounts with profile pictures of teenaged USMNT stars chalked it off as unacceptable. 

Landon Donovan labelled that thinking as "crazy." 

We were treated to an all-time CONCACAF moment last week when Ronnie Brunswijk, the 60-year-old Vice President of Suriname, started and played 54 minutes in the round of 16 of the CONCACAF League.

Brunswijk suited up for Inter Moengotapoe (IMT), the club he owns, as they lost 6-0 to Honduran side Olimpia. Needless to say, he looked a little out of place:

You read that headline correctly. The Suriname Vice President, Ronnie Brunswijk, played for 54 minutes against Honduran club giant Olimpia on Tuesday night. The club he owns and captained that night, Inter Moengotapoe, lost 6-0.

Brunswijk is officially the oldest player in the world to play in an international club competition at the spry young age of 60. Inter and Olimpia were playing in the Concacaf League, which is essentially the UEFA Europa League equivalent. 

Whew. That was a close one. Facing the prospect of two points from its opening three World Cup qualifiers, the USMNT rallied for a big 4-1 win on Wednesday night in Honduras, salvaging a decent showing over the September international window. It wasn’t great, but the Americans avoided disaster, which makes our USMNT player ratings (and coach rating) all the spicier.