The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup is coming! Not quickly, but more so in the way that time inevitably passes and eventually reaches a certain date, this date being over 600 days away. Barring an invitation to the 2019 Copa America, the Gold Cup will serve as the USMNT’s first competitive match after the Trinidad and Tobago disaster. What will the USMNT roster look like come then?
Tuesday was a nightmare for U.S. soccer, but soccer does not stop because the U.S. won’t be in the World Cup next summer in Russia. In fact, the U.S. is competing at a World Cup right now — the U-17 World Cup in India — and the team is doing quite well.
Tuesday sure was wild, huh? CONCACAF CONCACAF’d the sh*t out of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers for two insane hours. There was a lot to take in. A lot. Wacky own goals, rampaging ball boys and hugging commentators. And USMNT World Cup dreams dashed. So like Hillary Clinton after her election loss, let’s revisit what the hell just happened.
Why is Guillermo Ochoa disliked so much? Is it his hairstyle? His success? Does he actually suck? While Guillermo Ochoa is considered a good keeper by most, it’s moments like Tuesday's own goal that get people infuriated and lead to questioning over whether he is the best option for Mexico.
Lost in all the furor following the USMNT’s disastrous 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago (and because the match was played on ESPN 8: The Ocho, so no one saw it) is the fact that the Soca Warriors’ Alvin Jones probably scored the best goal of the entire CONCACAF qualifying cycle, a sludge dating back to March 22, 2015.
The USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup is nothing less than an abject failure. It’s a failure for U.S. soccer on so many levels, from player development and youth organization to individual performances and coaching decisions. It’s a failure that must be learned from so as to never repeat it again.
Earlier this month USWNT and Orlando City striker Alex Morgan was kicked out of Disney World after an incident at Epcot, resulting in Morgan being warned for trespassing.
The plot thickened as police body camera footage of officers questioning Morgan, who disagreed with police about the night's events.
Google AMP users can view the video here.