Now that the Ticos kinda suck I think there's a big logjam right behind Mexico and USA of a half dozen teams: Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Canada, Honduras. Could maybe even throw El Salvador in there. Canada on paper are as good as any of them, but they always seem to choke when it comes down to it.

Costa rico was a one man army anyway, and he was in goal.

Nope

BRYAN GOAT

Costa Rico lmao

I feel like the change in qualifying is especially devastating for Canada. They are still searching for an identity and trying to grow the sport in Canada. They need to build rivalries vs. USA and Mexico. Those matches will get casual fans watching on TV and put butts in the seats at matches. They also need more big match experience. They've pretty much always choked in any big moment in recent years. A dozen matches against minnows thousands of miles away isn't really gonna do much for Canada. Those home matches will draw like 10k fans and noone will care to watch on TV except diehards (72off and a dozen other people).

I feel like it's extremely short-sighted from CONCACAF and FIFA b/c Canada will for sure be in the 2026 Cup and they should at least have the chance to be in the hex as a way to grow the sport in their country and drum up more interest for the '26 World Cup.

Putting aside the argument about which route is the easier one, I think there are plenty of other things to consider, and there's a certain prestige of being in the hex along with Mexico and USA that has benefits, especially to a nation like Canada.

If you're a USMNT fan you're not lolling at Costa Rica. We haven't beaten them in San Jose in a WC qualifier EVERRRRRRR.

Also, BRYAN GOAT is correct.

I was at the home game last year. It was Pulisic v the world. We were so bad the Costa Rica were so good. Especially BRYAN

Lol priz as always but I'm not sure why we are even acknowledging him at this point

Or we are laughing that he said costa rico

Can someone give me some cliffs on how the other 29(?) teams in concacaf agreed to this idiotic qualification system?

almost all of them were eliminated 2 years before the WC so they picked up equity with the back door hunger games victory

My guess some combination of it not being that bad for most of them and most of them not really having too much say in it anyway

They actually get more games than previously, I think. There were KO matches based on rank in order to whittle it down to the final 12 previously. The lower teams only got a home and home in qualifying. Now they're guaranteed group play so they'll get more matches.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...sa-ajax-soccer

yea please cap tie him thanks

edit he might be tied due to u20 or w/e and would have to one time file? w/e get him in

Not a single player playing in spain or italy. In addition to not playing in europe, they do it in the wrong leagues.

Why the **** would anyone ever want to play in Italy? This isn't the nineties. Not even Italians care about Serie A going by attendance figures.

um, Konrad is at Barca

Yea I mean who would want to play in a league with 2nd favorites for CL, a player in the discussion for literal GOAT, 5-6 really really good teams, 2 of the top 3 defenders in the world, etc... etc... Can't imagine how you'd possibly get better playing against that dross each week. Much better off going to Orlando City where stringing 3 passes together is a chore

Serie A too easy, even Michael Pirlo solved it. Better to challenge yourself in EPL.

For most I'd assume it comes down to logistics. I.E. parent in the military in Germany or speaking English in EPL. Certain countries might be more interested in Americans too like France, particularly Nantes, doesn't mind giving Americans a shot.

Americans have traditionally gone to Germany and rarely to Italy or Spain. Just as much as Central and South American players go to Spain and Italy a lot as opposed to Germany or England. Clearly it’s a culture thing and tons of Germans speak better English than the vast majority of Americans anyway(though English is super easy to use in Italy as well).

This bacaolopeace is the legit worst poster on this board

he earned a quick and early addition to the ignore list lol

Obviously I wasn't suggesting Serie A is better than MLS. But it's not better than the PL where Pulisic will play or the Bundesliga where McKennie plays either though. Sure, the US team would be better if more of them played in Spain. But that's because they're not good enough to play in Spain, not because they're just choosing to stay in MLS instead of going to la Liga.

Unless you have an EU passport, going to Spain would be really, really, hard as La Liga teams are only allowed 3 non EU players on their roster. You have to be really ****ing good to play for a first team in La Liga. No other countries, that I know of anyway, have the same restrictions.

If people are interested in watching Gio Reyna is starting tonight for Dortmund in their preseason friendly with Liverpool