World Cup qualifiers

The USMNT can clinch a World Cup berth on Wednesday vs. Costa Rica (9:05 p.m. ET; CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, Universo, Peacock)

In the most controversial ending to a WCQ, Costa Rica edged the USA, 2-1, on a phantom hand ball call late in the match at Saprissa on July 23, 2000. The team is tied with the USA and Mexico for second place in goals conceded (eight). The Central Americans began their run with a 1-0 home win over Panama on Jan. 27 behind Bryan Ruiz's 65th-minute goal, followed by a scoreless draw at Mexico three days later. Since Jan. 27, the Costa Ricans are 4-0-1 with four shutouts. They survived a shootout to defeat Greece in the Round of 16 before losing in another shootout to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The roster is dominated by 20 domestic-based performers. Current USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was called for a hand ball in the box, although videos clearly showed he headed the ball out of bounds. The Central Americans countered behind goals by Hernan Medford, Maurico Solis and Harold Wallace, who scored the game-winner in the 78th minute. The stingy Ticos have recorded six clean sheets in 13 qualifiers, including four consecutive shutouts. The Americans will book a berth to Qatar with a win, draw or even a loss. Eric Wynalda and Roy Lassiter, who had played professional in Costa Rica, scored for the visitors. Two minutes after Oscar Ramirez scored to give the hosts a 42nd-minute lead, John Kerr, Jr., then attending Duke University, volleyed home a Jeff Hooker cross.

The two nations are placed second and third, respectively, in the CONCACAF Octagonal, with Costa Rica three points behind both of them in fourth place.

Jamaica-Honduras is a dead rubber clash, but El Salvador still has a role to play tonight at Estadio Azteca. Can former United States international Hugo Pérez contribute one last shock for his old program, leading El Salvador to an upset over Mexico (and a Costa Rica win) in hopes of overturning a goal differential disparity? Going into tonight's game, there was some discourse about whether the United States should play a full-strength lineup or save some key players like Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic from additional wear. Fellow card carriers like midfielder Celso Borges and defenders Francisco Calvo and Keysher Fuller were left off the bench altogether. Hot start for the— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) #USMNT! #CRCvUSA Keylor Navas with a super-save so far, denying Miles Robinson just centimeters away from the goal-line. Possibly the strongest start away from home this team has managed in all of qualification. Automatic qualification is 45 minutes away for Mexico, as Raul Jiménez converts from the penalty spot to double their lead. With this 2-0 result and a USMNT tie, Mexico would finish second in the Octagonal, dropping the Americans to third. The Cruz Azul attacker was given the start tonight and he has delivered a first-half performance that Tata Martino will savor. Paramount+, TUDN (U.S.) Paramount+, Telemundo Deportes (U.S.) The two nations are placed second and third, respectively, in the CONCACAF Octagonal, with Costa Rica three points behind both of them in fourth place.

The USMNT is almost guaranteed a spot in the 2022 World Cup, but it is still pushing to win its first qualifier in Costa Rica and redefine its image.

“We’ve created bonds and a chemistry that, to be honest with you, is very different than a lot of teams that I’ve played on,” said Adams, 23. “We’re in a position right now where we can come to Costa Rica and get the first win. “It keeps us happy, keeps us pumped and it’s definitely a positive.” “We’re going into this game with the mentality to win.” That has been building for a long time, Adams and Weah agree. We have such a good chemistry that everybody’s having a good time.” If that happens, at least partial credit should go to the team administrator who ordered the new boom box. The U.S. hasn’t lost a game that badly since 1979. Costa Rica, meanwhile, comes into the match in a far more precarious position. So with nine players carrying yellow cards, coach Luis Fernando Suárez may decide to hold them out against the U.S. rather than risk losing them to suspension for June’s playoff game. It wasn’t loud enough for some of the dressing rooms the team was using. Can’t hear the music,” said defender DeAndre Yedlin, whose 72 appearances leads all national team players.

US men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter expressed disdain over the ...

We have all their players identified on their roster, we've scouted all their players, we’ve scouted potential changes, and we go from there,” added Berhalter. I'm not sure exactly what they're going do. “I think it's a dumb rule, honestly.

Why is qualifying for the World Cup so difficult? Fact: 24 UEFA teams are allowed to participate in the European Championship, but only 13 teams from Europe are ...

Only 13 countries from UEFA are allowed to start the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Therefore, qualifying for the World Cup is much more difficult. Is it because of the quality of our players, is it because of the playing systems of the team leaders or is it because of the training of coaches and players in the youth of the Austrian Federation? Josef Hexberger reached the European Championship on home soil without having to qualify. Qualified for the European Championship, climbed to the first group in the Nations League, only this wonderful qualification for the World Cup failed again.

USA and Costa Rica compete tonight in the CONCACAF game that determines if USMNT qualifies for the World Cup. Here's where and when to watch the game.

Traditionally, the World Cup is held every four years during the summer months. Costa Rica is in a tougher position, currently sitting fourth in the table. And how can you watch the game? They are locked into fourth at worst, with the unlikely hope of surpassing the U.S. or Mexico for a top-three spot. Finishing fourth would send Costa Rica to the inter-confederation playoff, where they would face the Oceania winner in June with a chance to qualify for the World Cup. The USMNT will battle Costa Rica in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament with a prime chance to punch its ticket to Qatar for the World Cup. Led by young star Christian Pulisic, this could be the beginning of a new era for the USMNT.

The USMNT finishes off its 2022 World Cup qualifying slate, and all roads point toward officially clinching a spot at the tournament in Qatar, ...

Historically, the U.S. has scored one goal or fewer in every World Cup qualifying match in Costa Rica except one. Tim Weah returns from his yellow card suspension to start on the wing, as Paul Arriola was withdrawn at halftime of the Panama match with a knock and does not appear on the bench. U.S. fans have been mulling over how Berhalter should play this match, but the sportsbooks aren't looking at this match with such a complicated lens. Christian Pulisic starts for the third match of three, but the captain's armband goes to Walker Zimmerman this time. Can the U.S. secure a spot in the tournament and position itself to be playing with this adidas beauty come November? And unlike Costa Rica, unless disaster strikes, yellow card suspensions are no longer a worry, as those do not carry over into the World Cup itself. 8:03 p.m.: USA lineup has been submitted, and it's a strong one, with the U.S. not backing down despite overwhelming odds in its favor. 23rd min: Keylor Navas delivers one of the most devastating goal kicks you'll ever see, taking it quickly and putting it on a platter for a lone Costa Rican attacker chasing the ball in the attacking half, but Tyler Adams does one better and sprints the length of the field and completes the challenge to win the ball back. A worry for the U.S. First real chance of the match falls to the visitors. 13th min: CHANCE, USA! Timothy springs Ricardo Pepi down the right, and the U.S. striker rips a shot from a tight angle that Navas has covered. If nothing else, the scoreless game is a step closer to World Cup qualification.

Mexico has officially qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, continuing a stretch that dates back to the 1994 tournament.

Scotland/ Ukraine. The Scotland-Ukraine playoff match originally scheduled for March 24 was postponed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has not been rescheduled. Only three teams in the 32-side field have yet to be determined. Due to these consistent early departures in the knockout round, reaching the quinto partido ("fifth game") at the World Cup has turned into a mythical objective among El Tri fans and observers.

All the USMNT had to do to qualify for the World Cup was forfeit and take a 3-0 loss, instead they played soccer. Costa Rica would need to win by six or win ...

If you watch the replay, the ball clearly strikes the back of the net and then bounces back to hit Zack Steffen in the head... It might have been a loss, but at the end of the day the USMNT has achieved its goal of qualifying for the World Cup. As it wound down, the match seemed to lose its steam. Occasional sloppy defending hasn’t been badly punished by opponents of the USA so far in qualifying, but the backline failed to clear three chances following a Costa Rica set piece and punishment was doled out. Miles Robinson did manage a shot that Keylor Navas initially dropped, it looked like maybe the ball would backspin it’s way into goal, but it wasn’t meant to be. Costa Rica’s 4-4-2/5-4-1 formation did what it was meant to do and gave the USA possession, but pressed the Americans to slow their build up in the back, and then fell back into well organized blocks of four or five and four. Following the goal, Weah, Yedlin, and Pepi made way for Gio Reyna, Shaq Moore, and Jesus Ferreira. Things then calmed down and the Ticos stopped scoring every eight minutes. The USA didn’t need to win but couldn’t lose by more than six but wanted to win for the first time in Costa Rica. It almost felt like a really important friendly. The Americans then forced Navas into another save and... The Americans set out a strong lineup as Gregg Berhalter sought to finish the qualifying campaign with a win. Or there’d have to be an even more improbable set of events to see the Ticos eliminated. Notably, Berhalter went with a more defensive option in midfield with Kellyn Acosta getting the start of Luca de la Torre.

Canada lost the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign to Panama 1-0. The Canadian clinched a ticket to Qatar last Sunday but lost and missed Pot 3 prior to the ...

Canada lost the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign to Panama 1-0. The change of Hardman was almost rewarded as Larin found the equalizer in the 80th minute. Canada took the top spot in the Conca Cuff World Cup qualifiers despite losing to Panama

Les Rouges suffered a 1-0 loss against Panama on Wednesday evening.

Panama then opened the scoring in the 49th minute with a goal from Gabriel Torres on his 100th national team appearance. Tajon Buchanan kept drawing attention from Panamanian defenders, continung to draw fouls throughout the first half. The dangerous ball was headed away well by Cavallini. On the other end of the pitch, Johnston prevented a Panama chance with a strong challenge in the 44th minute. The first notable chance of the game was in favour of Panama in the ninth minute off a corner delivered to the front post. Sam Adekugbe continued to impress on the left side as he whipped in a cross in the second minute, but nothing came of it.

After beating the USA, Costa Rica finished World Cup qualifiers in fourth place and will face New Zealand in a playoff for a World Cup berth.

Jewison Bennette drove in a low cross and Contreras bundled in the finish from close range. Despite the early effort from USA, it was Costa Rica who took the lead in the 51st minute. However, Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas parried away the shot, before Timothy Weah’s follow-up was blocked.

The US were dealt some adversity early in qualifying, when standout midfielder Weston McKennie was suspended during the September window for a COVID-19 protocol ...

And it's indicative of how much needs to improve over the ensuing eight months before the World Cup arrives. The USMNT were flying high after back-to-back wins against Honduras and Jamaica, but they crashed back to earth in Panama City, a humbling 1-0 defeat in the second match of the October window. It was a negative early storyline, but one that generated an impressive response from the FC Dallas product. He became the youngest player in USMNT history to score in his senior team debut during World Cup qualifying and the Yanks picked up three massive points in the 4-1 win. The result all but assured the US of a Qatar spot and gave Pulisic a signature moment in a cycle that was deeply personal for him after being part of the side that fell short of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. In perhaps the program's biggest statement result of the Octagonal, the US took a 2-0 victory over arch-rival Mexico in the November window at FC Cincinnati's TQL Stadium. The result was delivered from a pair of the team's biggest stars, as Christian Pulisic found a breakthrough opener with the match still in a hard-fought, scoreless deadlock in the 74th minute – the birth of his "Man in the Mirror" troll of goalkeeper Memo Ochoa.

Football still developing in Canada, but World Cup qualification is 'monster step in right direction', ex-players say.

“It’s everywhere from grassroots, up to the semi-pro level, to the professional level, up to the national team. There’s no better time, the world and this country is watching.” “It’s important that we have a framework in place, that we take advantage of this opportunity, and that the investment goes in the right places,” Friend said. “There was very little changeover in that roster and they won that bronze medal.” “There’s absolutely, 100 percent, been a shift,” said former Canada and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Rob Friend. “Are we there yet? Montreal, Canada – “Why go to the national team?