Assessing the State of USMNT Entering Hexagonal Round of World Cup Qualifying

The United States men’s national team secured a spot in the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on Tuesday with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Jacksonville, Florida.

The victory at EverBank Stadium clinched top spot in Group C in the penultimate round of qualifying in North America. The first-place finish earned the Yanks a match with Mexico at home on November 11 to open the Hex before visiting Costa Rica on November 15. 

With what is expected to be the most competitive Hex of all time ahead in just two months, we decided to take a look at the USMNT program as a whole with the 2018 FIFA World Cup less than two years away. 

We broke down the state of the program into four categories. The performance section deals with the results on the pitch since the start of the year. The current personnel category is a look at who should be involved moving forward. 

As it always is with any national-team program, development is key to look at as well, especially with a new generation of stars coming up the pipeline. 

Finally, we’ll take a look at the managerial decisions of Jurgen Klinsmann, who has come under plenty of criticism since taking the job. 

Performance

The USMNT’s competitive slate didn’t get off to a great start in 2016 as they fell 2-0 to Guatemala on the road in World Cup qualifying on March 25. Four days later, the Yanks reversed that result with a vital 4-0 victory that kept them alive in Group C.

After three consecutive victories in friendlies leading up to the Copa America Centenario, the Yanks dropped their opener at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, to Colombia.

Fortunately, the USMNT recovered with a pair of impressive wins over Costa Rica and Paraguay to close out group play. In the final group game against Paraguay, John Brooks delivered a masterful performance at center-back with his side down a man. 

The quarterfinal win over Ecuador in front of a packed house in Seattle was the final positive of the tournament for the Yanks. A demoralizing loss to Argentina in the semifinal and a defeat at the hands of Colombia in the third-place contest set the Yanks back.

Luckily for the USMNT, they were able to get out any negative energy that lingered from the Copa in their 6-0 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday. Tuesday’s thumping of the Soca Warriors was one of the best performances of the Klinsmann era thanks to the attacking talents of Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic. 

The last two results have put the Yanks in a good direction moving forward, but it’s important to take stock in the opponents. They were expected to win both games, and in order to dominate the Hex, the USMNT will have to earn results in more difficult places than St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

When it comes down to performance in the Hex, the Yanks have to win all five home games, starting with Mexico in a yet-to-be-determined location, but it will most likely be Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, which is the traditional site for the home Mexico match in the Hex. 

When it comes to road matches, all of them will be difficult, especially the ones at Mexico and Costa Rica. However, the good news with placing first in the semifinal round is the Yanks will have time to prepare at altitude for the match at the Estadio Azteca on June 13.

Given the importance of the trip to Mexico City, the Yanks should host the June 9 contest against Trinidad and Tobago at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, or Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. 

The trip to Costa Rica may be the most difficult since it comes four days after the Hex opener versus Mexico, but that singular result shouldn’t hurt in the long run.

The Yanks won the Hex during the last World Cup cycle with 22 points and third-place Honduras clinched a World Cup berth with 15. If you do the math, that means five home wins paired with at least two results on the road will earn a spot in Russia. 

Klinsmann’s men are capable of achieving that as long as the correct personnel are on the pitch.

Current Personnel 

Tuesday’s win over Trinidad and Tobago could prove to be a turning point in the Klinsmann era in terms of selection. 

The previously exiled Sacha Kljestan moved into a starting role after a strong performance off the bench on Friday, …

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