Costa Rica 2 - 0 USA: USMNT Backs Into Qualification

 The point earned in Mexico City proved crucial as CRC and USA finished even on points, the USA's goal differential proving to be the difference between 3rd place and automatic qualification and 4th place and a two-legged playoff with New Zealand.  With one eye on that playoff, Costa Rica sat most of their starters due to yellow card jeopardy--they had nine sitting on a yellow, and another would mean sitting out the next game.  I like Zach Steffen, but I am sure that had the goalkeepers been switched, the US would have won.  Navas made two excellent saves.  Steffen was weak on the first goal--a strong header that got past him when a lot of keepers would have reacted quicker--and was partly responsible for the second, punching a cross that he could have gathered, only to see it go directly to an opposing player.  He was hit by the first shot, and when the rebound was picked up by CR, a simple cross found two totally unmarked players, one of whom could tap it in.  The defense was dreadful on that one.  On the first goal, Zimmerman got caught under a corner kick to allow a free header in the six yard box, a cardinal sin.

We've now lost ten in a row in San Jose.  This was a great chance to end that streak, but the US was not up to that task.  US Soccer is celebrating qualification, but Berhalter must be disappointed in his team's performance.  They weren't incisive enough up front and they were not strong enough in the back.  I'd be surprised if he didn't let them know that they'll have to be a whole lot better than this if they want to avoid embarrassment in Qatar.

This was the last time the US will have to worry about qualification.  USA, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting in 2026 (so all get a free pass into the show) and that will be the first World Cup with 48 teams (instead of the post-1998 32).  CONCACAF would probably get at least five qualifying nations under that format, and I don't think there are five teams that could plausibly finish above us, let alone six.  (Italy could breathe easier too.)