MEXICO. While USA coach Gregg Berhalter did not want to divulge any details about the starting lineup he would use in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Mexico, he downplayed the idea that the team was ready to draw at the stadium. Azteca.
“We want to win all three matches. [in this window]”, – he said. – We are going to put on the field in Mexico a team that will try to win the game.”
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Berhalter didn’t dismiss the idea that the team could field a B squad to stay fresh for Sunday’s pivotal game against fourth-placed Panama in Orlando. He admitted that he passed the idea on to his staff, and they discussed its merits.
“I think it was an important exercise for us,” he said. “We have come with our answer and you will see tomorrow. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with looking at both sides of the case.”
The United States has never won a competitive match at the Azteca and is 0-3-3 all the time at the World Cup qualifier venue.
“Our results here are terrible. The chances that we will win something are very small,” Berhalter said. “We know it. We understand this. So it is, and we are focused on getting into the game and it would be difficult to play against us.
CONCACAF table
| general doctor | PTS | DG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Canada | eleven | 25 | +14 |
| 2 – USA | eleven | 21 | +9 |
| 3 – Mexico | eleven | 21 | +6 |
| 4 – Panama | eleven | 17 | +1 |
| 5 – Costa Rica | eleven | 16 | one |
| 6 – El Salvador | eleven | nine | -7 |
| 7 – Jamaica | eleven | 7 | -7 |
| 8 – Honduras | eleven | 3 | -17 |
| 1-3 qualify; 4 in the playoffs | |||
US star forward Christian Pulisic was also reluctant to admit that the Americans would not be content with chasing three points.
“That would mean everything [to win at the Azteca], – he said. “We know it won’t be easy. Of course, we got the better of them in the last two games, but this means that nothing will come of tomorrow’s game. So we need to fight, we need another maximum performance and we will continue to do what we have done in past games against them.
“We need an amazing performance to win again tomorrow.”
The United States and Mexico advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers tied with 21 points, trailing first place Canada (25 points). In the first meeting of opponents during qualification, the USA won 2-0 for the third consecutive time in the series, including victories in the finals of the CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup.
After the game with Panama, the US will go to fifth place in Costa Rica (16 points).
The top three teams in CONCACAF qualifiers will automatically qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, while the fourth-placed team needs to beat champion OCEANIA in a one-match play-off in Qatar in June.
As the US seeks to avoid the catastrophe of missing out on a second World Cup in a row, Berhalter said he left his staff in no doubt about what’s at stake in the next three games.
“One thing I told the staff at our meeting when we started camp is that this is probably the most important week of our lives as professional trainers,” he said. “And that’s just being honest. I coached at Columbus, coached the MLS Finals and stuff like that, but it’s more than that.”