Concacaf’s World Cup 2022 qualifying draw set up the possibility of the USA opening regional play at Trinidad & Tobago with a chance of avenge the 2-1 loss in Couva in 2017 that knocked it out of the 2018 World Cup.
It won’t be happening.
The USA won’t get a rematch at Trinidad & Tobago in September. The Soca Warriors didn’t even make it to the second round of Concacaf play.
A 0-0 tie at Bahamas — ranked 201 out of 203 teams the world — on Saturday eliminated T&T. It followed a 1-1 tie at Dave Sarachan‘s Puerto Rico in March. The Soca Warriors host St. Kitts & Nevis on Tuesday in Santo Domingo but don’t have a chance of catching the Sugar Boyz, who have won all three games.
T&T soccer has been hit hard by the pandemic and ongoing problems with its federation. A 7-0 loss to the USA in a hastily arranged friendly in January was the only game T&T played in a span of 16 months before World Cup qualifying started in March.
St. Kitts & Nevis will likely face El Salvador or Antigua & Barbuda in the second round. Six teams will advance to the second round, and the three winners of series played June 12 and June 15 will join the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Jamaica in the Octagonal.
Here’s how the other groups look going into Tuesday’s final day of group play:
Group A: El Salvador 7 points (10-1), Antigua & Barbuda 7 points (6-2), Montserrat 5 points (7-3).
El Salvador vs. Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada vs. Montserrat.
Winner of El Salvador-Antigua & Barbuda wins the group. In case of a tie, El Salvador wins the group unless Montserrat beats by Grenada by 5 goals, in which case it wins the group. (Whoever has the most goals will win the group if Montserrat wins by 4 goals.)
Group B: Canada 9 points (23-1), Suriname 9 points (15-0).
Canada-Suriname.
Canada wins the group with a win or tie. Suriname wins the group with a win.
Group C: Curacao 9 points (15-1), Guatemala 9 points (14-0).
Curacao-Guatemala.
Curacao wins the group with a win or tie. Guatemala wins the group with a win.
Group D: Panama 9 points (16-1), Dominican Republic 7 points (8-1).
Panama-Dominican Republic
Panama wins the group with a win or tie. Dominican Republic wins the group with a win.
Group E: Haiti 6 points (12-0), Nicaragua 6 points (10-0).
Haiti-Nicaragua.
Haiti wins the group with a win or tie. Nicaragua wins the group with a win.
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