The U.S. Men’s soccer team lost 2-1 to Trinidad & Tobago has eliminated them from World Cup qualification. Going into the match the U.S. had a 3 percent chance of losing.
This is the first time since 1986 that the U.S. didn’t qualify.
The fields in Port of Spain had been “underwater” after torrential downpours muddied the area. It did not match well with the U.S. style of playing ‘laid back’ soccer.
Former U.S. team member Taylor Twellman weighed-in on the loss, saying that the whole system needed to change from top to bottom.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, knowing the result,” Twellman said. “There was real pressure tonight,” he said, The American player was not prepared for that real pressure, that’s where you have to create that…otherwise, what are we really doing?”
“To make any crazy change, I think would be foolish,” head coach Bruce Arena said in a press conference. “There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing, as our league [MLS] continues to grow it benefits the national team program,” he said.
The Men’s team was riding the coattails of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making it to the round of sixteen, before being eliminated by Belgium in extra time.
For the 2018 World Cup, Fox had reportedly paid $400 million to televise the games, and the U.S. aren’t even participating in it.
Former CONCACAF President Jack Warner celebrated the United States loss. ‘I feel like partying,’ he said. “I have not been in better spirits. This is the happiest day of my life,” Warner said.
Warner was brought up on corruption charges by the U.S. Department of Justice as they aimed to crack down on bribing throughout the FIFA corporation.
U.S. striker Jozy Altidore took to Twitter to apologize to U.S. soccer fans.
“We need you now more than ever to help continue to grow the game at the grassroots level across the country,” Altidore said.
“Please keep supporting and playing the beautiful game. The best days for soccer in this country are still to come. We have to keep working hard, believing in ourselves and never give up,” he said.
U.S. soccer fans will have to wait until the summer of 2019, when the Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be in France.