World Cup Qualifying - CONCACAF Hexagonal

[goalie33]

Hey everybody!

I know most of you don't watch soccer, but our boys are in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Today they play the first game of the hexagonal round away at Trinidad & Tobago. The game will be on ESPN2 at 2:30.

The hexagonal round is composed of the best six teams in North/Central America. Each team plays every other team twice, home and away. A team gets three points for a win, one point for a tie, and no points for a loss. After all the games have been played (10 in all each), the three teams with the most points qualify for the World Cup in Germany next year. The fourth team goes into a playoff with the fifth-place team from Asia for the last WC spot. Here's the hex schedule so far:

USA at Trinidad & Tobago - February 9th at 2:30 PM (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
USA at Mexico - March 27th at 11:00AM (Mexico City)
USA vs. Guatemala - March 30th at 6:00PM (Birmingham, AL)

If you're in the mood, support our boys!!

(My trip to Germany depends on it)

[goalie33]

Hey everybody!

I know most of you don't watch soccer, but our boys are in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Today they play the first game of the hexagonal round away at Trinidad & Tobago. The game will be on ESPN2 at 2:30.

The hexagonal round is composed of the best six teams in North/Central America. Each team plays every other team twice, home and away. A team gets three points for a win, one point for a tie, and no points for a loss. After all the games have been played (10 in all each), the three teams with the most points qualify for the World Cup in Germany next year. The fourth team goes into a playoff with the fifth-place team from Asia for the last WC spot. Here's the hex schedule so far:

USA at Trinidad & Tobago - February 9th at 2:30 PM (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
USA at Mexico - March 27th at 11:00AM (Mexico City)
USA vs. Guatemala - March 30th at 6:00PM (Birmingham, AL)

If you're in the mood, support our boys!!

(My trip to Germany depends on it)

[nccanes]

Thanks for the reminder G33. Know of any "in game" thingy to see that stats/score/play by play over the web (for us slobs at work)? Anything streaming won't work here - but I'd love to get near-real time game updates.

[nccanes]

Thanks for the reminder G33. Know of any "in game" thingy to see that stats/score/play by play over the web (for us slobs at work)? Anything streaming won't work here - but I'd love to get near-real time game updates.

[Mona]

:usa: :usa:

[Mona]

:usa: :usa:

[goalie33]

www.ussoccer.com has a Matchtracker that gives game comments, shots, etc. Apparently it wasn't working today.

Anyway, the US won 2-1 in a stadium with a far-from-normal Trinidadian atmosphere. They played the game in a cricket stadium because the US beat Trinidad to keep T&T out of the WC in 1989 in the national football stadium...the bad vibes caused T&T to use the cricket ground.

The US' first goal game on a beautiful rising header from Ed Johnson, a twenty year-old tha now has six goals in his four national team games. The second came on a beautifu, curling left-footed strike from 20 yards by Eddie Lewis, who showed why he is the most valuable player at his club, Preston North End.

T&T got some chances near the end, but goalie Kasey Keller came up big on a couple breakaways. Trinidad's goal came in the 89th minute, four minutes before end, but was a solid case of goalkeeper error as Keller was cheating out wide to interrupt any centering passes and the surprise shot from the side went off the inside of his far hand and into the net.

And, for a little local flavor, NC State alum Pablo Mastroeni started in his standard holding midfielder position and played a solid 70 minutes.

This is all very important as the US heads to Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a very compact that holds 100,000 very hostile Mexican fans armed with rotten food and bags of urine. The win on the road today was a very important one for the US team.

A fun tidbit: the TV coverage showed Drew Carey in one of the seating boxes...apparently he flew in just for the game (a surprise considering it's been Carnival all week)!

[goalie33]

www.ussoccer.com has a Matchtracker that gives game comments, shots, etc. Apparently it wasn't working today.

Anyway, the US won 2-1 in a stadium with a far-from-normal Trinidadian atmosphere. They played the game in a cricket stadium because the US beat Trinidad to keep T&T out of the WC in 1989 in the national football stadium...the bad vibes caused T&T to use the cricket ground.

The US' first goal game on a beautiful rising header from Ed Johnson, a twenty year-old tha now has six goals in his four national team games. The second came on a beautifu, curling left-footed strike from 20 yards by Eddie Lewis, who showed why he is the most valuable player at his club, Preston North End.

T&T got some chances near the end, but goalie Kasey Keller came up big on a couple breakaways. Trinidad's goal came in the 89th minute, four minutes before end, but was a solid case of goalkeeper error as Keller was cheating out wide to interrupt any centering passes and the surprise shot from the side went off the inside of his far hand and into the net.

And, for a little local flavor, NC State alum Pablo Mastroeni started in his standard holding midfielder position and played a solid 70 minutes.

This is all very important as the US heads to Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, a very compact that holds 100,000 very hostile Mexican fans armed with rotten food and bags of urine. The win on the road today was a very important one for the US team.

A fun tidbit: the TV coverage showed Drew Carey in one of the seating boxes...apparently he flew in just for the game (a surprise considering it's been Carnival all week)!

[nccanes]

Thanks G33. I did "watch" the game tracker thing at ussoccer.com. Someone did 'play by play' every minute or so during the 1st half - seemed they lost that ability in the 2nd, so I just checked the score on the World Cup site and found them ahead 2-0. I did have a lot work to do today (horrors), so that was enough.

When do they go to Mexico City.

And I'm sorry, bags of urine is just plain wrong. :sick:

[nccanes]

Thanks G33. I did "watch" the game tracker thing at ussoccer.com. Someone did 'play by play' every minute or so during the 1st half - seemed they lost that ability in the 2nd, so I just checked the score on the World Cup site and found them ahead 2-0. I did have a lot work to do today (horrors), so that was enough.

When do they go to Mexico City.

And I'm sorry, bags of urine is just plain wrong. :sick:

[goalie33]

The boys go to Mexico City on March 27th (WCQ is so spread out because the countries have to pry their players away from their clubs all over the world to play the games...too many games too close makes club managers angry).

The US Federation has an offer for tickets in Azteca, and I've pondered going, but I think I'd like to remain urine stain-free for a while.

BTW, the urine thing happens all over Central America. I have no idea why.

[goalie33]

The boys go to Mexico City on March 27th (WCQ is so spread out because the countries have to pry their players away from their clubs all over the world to play the games...too many games too close makes club managers angry).

The US Federation has an offer for tickets in Azteca, and I've pondered going, but I think I'd like to remain urine stain-free for a while.

BTW, the urine thing happens all over Central America. I have no idea why.

[cmw00]

USA at Trinidad & Tobago - February 9th at 2:30 PM (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
USA at Mexico - March 27th at 11:00AM (Mexico City)
USA vs. Guatemala - March 30th at 6:00PM (Birmingham, AL)


Why do the americans have to play 2 teams at once? seems alittle unfair.....

[cmw00]

USA at Trinidad & Tobago - February 9th at 2:30 PM (Port of Spain, Trinidad)
USA at Mexico - March 27th at 11:00AM (Mexico City)
USA vs. Guatemala - March 30th at 6:00PM (Birmingham, AL)


Why do the americans have to play 2 teams at once? seems alittle unfair.....

[Turbulence]

We're just that good! I hear that next week we play St Kitts & Nevis, too. Their 2 goalies playing at one time will give us a good challenge on offense.

[Turbulence]

We're just that good! I hear that next week we play St Kitts & Nevis, too. Their 2 goalies playing at one time will give us a good challenge on offense.

[Fernando da Silva]

100,000 very hostile Mexican fans armed with rotten food and bags of urine.

:sick: it seems filthy!!!

And, "in Brazil" (was in France), Ronaldo get "married". "Married" cause he hasn't separated of his former wife.

[Fernando da Silva]

100,000 very hostile Mexican fans armed with rotten food and bags of urine.

:sick: it seems filthy!!!

And, "in Brazil" (was in France), Ronaldo get "married". "Married" cause he hasn't separated of his former wife.