That's a Wrap for CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying (sort of)

Here’s how the final Hex table looks like:

Our boys in first place for the third straight time!! Only two losses, both of which were away, helped us secure the top spot. Costa Rica finished second and the third and fourth place teams were determined last night. And what a crazy night it was! Honduras was the only team that had world cup hopes secured; no matter what happened they would at least go to the play off games.

And the night started when Panama scored in the 18^th minute to lead the US. They were still in fifth place and out of world cup contention as all Mexico needed was not to lose. Then Costa Rica scored in the 25^th minute to send Mexico home and Panama was in fourth place. Mexico was out of the world cup for 4 minutes when they tied the game and gave themselves a little bit of breathing room. It was half time and Mexico was in fourth place and Panama in fifth place. Then came the second Costa Rica goal in the 64^th minute which gave Costa Rica the lead 2-1 and kicked Mexico back out. But WAIT!! US scores!! Michael Orozco, the one who scored against Mexico to help the US win in the Azteca, has just tied it for the US! A Mexican American inadvertently helping Mexico. Mexico is back in. With Mexico losing in Costa Rica for the first time in 21 years, their world cup hopes are kept alive by the US!

Then comes the Panama goal in the 84^th minute to give Panama the lead once again. Panama is back in fourth place and Mexico is kicked out again! It seemed like it was all over for Mexico. They were out for another 6 minutes when the US scored!! Zusi with the second goal for the US, but it didn’t end there! Johannsson adds a third to end the game 3-2!! US wins and Mexico fans celebrate! “USMNT scores in stoppage time to save Mexico’s world cup hopes!” Headlines all over Mexico thank the US. They know that Mexico did nothing to keep their world cup hopes alive. All they had to do was not lose, a place where they had not lost in over two decades. And the tweet heard around the country:

Mexico and FIFA owe the US big time! $600 million are kept alive. I think US should get a share of that maybe to help pay the government debt? Now Mexico has another chance to go to the World Cup by beating New Zealand, a team that just played to a draw against Chivas USA.

I wonder if Mexico will build Zusi a statue like Honduras did for Bornstein. Mexico relied on our boys and our boys showed why they deserve to be on top of the hex. US showed pure class and gave a lesson in fair play. They had a chance to eliminate their biggest rival and nothing to play for. Well at least the team as a whole didn’t, but the individual players did. They are all fighting for a spot to play in next year’s world cup.

For those of you upset about Mexico, don’t be. The comeback from our USMNT was unbelievable!! The video that shows the excitement on the TV Azteca announcers was awesome but unfortunately taken down. And that ladies and gentlemen is why all the games are played at the same time.