CONCACAF Chronicles

Qualifying out of any FIFA region is tough despite what some people think. They are factors that one has to
keep into consideration. If you look through the various federations some like Europe's UEFA, speaks for itself. The bulk of the world's football giants call Europe their home and some of the nations on the continent are very hard to get to. CONMEBOL may only have the ten nations to duke it out but two of them are Brazil and Argentina and it should be pointed out that in South America some of the greatest players to have ever played the game past and present come from this place.
  CAF the African governing body has just about the same amount of nations as Europe. Being honest some of the conditions in Africa aren't the greatest, they are either remote,  or playing conditions such as the pitch are sub-par. Asia's AFC in my opinion has the most extreme terrain and weather change in FIFA. One minute a team can find it self playing near the foot of a Tajik mountain, the next game they can be battling it out in searing heat of the Middle East and on top of that they are some really good teams out there Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are no mugs.
  At the surface, Oceania that encompasses nations from the Pacific like Fiji and Vanuatu doesn't look like much and in truth it really isn't in terms of talent but as New Zealand and Australia in the past would tell you, traversing those tiny islands that dot the Pacific is not easy at all, there will be fatigue, mentally and physically.
 CONCACAF, the region that embodies North and Central America, the Caribbean and a few territories on the South American mainland is a mix bag. On the one hand you have the Americans and Mexicans that sit alone at the summit and then you have some of the Caribbean islands that huddle together like a bunch of small fish at the bottom of a shrinking pond.
 It is easy to say that the United States and Mexico encounters are the marquee games in the region and maybe the only stand out game in the federation. On Tuesday, March 26th 2013, the United States and Mexico squared up at the famed Azteca in Mexico City where the two played out a 0-0 draw in a World Cup Qualifying game. People who like to give CONCACAF grief and down cry it would have ample reason to do so, seeing that its most celebrated teams gave 90 mins nothing and for those who appreciate the North American zone they themselves will have to admit it really wasn't a great match.
 On the night what I saw for the first time is a Mexico team who didn't have a clue, devoid of ideas, passion and commitment. I think most people familiar with the Mexican national team could see that. They had no midfield, no killer ball and the width they offered was omitted by the excellent Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler. If watch the full 90 that was easy to see. Mexico in what seems to me overnight has become a team that is rooted in it's on ways, so much so that the  major players in CONCACAF, the likes of the United States, Honduras and Jamaica have become wise to them and has found ways to peg them back and the proof is the current three draws and the table in which they sit second bottom barley holding of Jamaica by a point.
 In contrast the United States under Jurgen Klinsman has adapted a "horses for courses," approach. Klinsman who has gotten a lot of flak from American pundits and fans for results and style of play has proven that versatility is an avenue worth exploring.
 Klinsman's predecessors clung on to virtually the same players time and time again and there is nothing wrong with that. The likes of Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra have been magnificence servants to the United States and if not for Donovan's leave of absence and his reluctance to play for the national team and Howard's injury I am sure they would be the first names on the team sheet in recent games. The difference is that with Klinsman's America, he is willing to try new things. Bocanegra, Donovan and Howard are older players but so is Demarcus Beasley, so he isn't turning his back on veterans. Beasley has played at left back in these last two games, sure he picked up a yellow in the early stages of the Mexico game and made a few mistakes but in the main he looked good.
 The German's willingness to spot problems only lends to his versatility and picking the right player is key. In 2011 USA loss to Mexico 4-2 in the Gold Cup final under Bob Bradley.  I remember it because of that wonderful solo goal from Giovanni Dos Santos where he chipped the ball over Howard's head along with the trailing US back line. Clarence Goodson and Carlos Bocanegra  were at the heart of that defense. People on the US side belly-ached about how slow the defense was and I agreed. The defense also included Eric Lichaj and Steve Cherundolo. Bocanegra and Cherundolo are aging players that is fair but not Lichaj and Goodson. The four of them on the day could not deal with Mexico's mobility. There is no doubt Klinsman has seen that tape since his appointment and has planned to suit, he opted for a younger back line minus Beasley against Mexico and it paid off.
 The rise of Graham Zusi and Herculez Gomez isn't by chance either. By including more players into the national set up Klinsman is giving himself more options and is allowing himself routes out of tight jams. To me making a statement saying that he won't be stuck like his predecessors in crunch time situations. He will have more players he can trust. Not to say Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena didn't blood many players but Klinsman seems to use a wide-array of individuals.  
 At the end of the Mexico USA clash some "El Tri," fans were shouting "Fuero Chepo," which translates to fire "Chepo," the nickname of the Mexican head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre. If there is anything the US can teach the Mexican coach is don't be afraid to try something new and granted he did Carlos Salcido a left back in midfield isn't revolutionary but it is a change. Maybe a more lucrative change can come from the in form Carlos Vela who has snubbed the national team and by the looks of it they could need another option at the moment. 

Giovanni Dos Santos Goal vs USA (Gold Cup 2011)  

   

CONCACAF Chronicles

 Can they do it? A fairly direct question if I must say so. That query is aim at the Caribbean contingent left in World Cup Qualifiers for Brazil 2014. Guyana (South American Nation), Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica are all that remain from the West Indies. To think Antigua's name is still in the hat for qualification at this the group stage proper while Trinidad sit in Port of Spain still reminiscing about Germany 2006 and have left to pick up their teeth from the haymakers landed by the Guyanese this World Cup campaign. As for Jamaica finally they maybe starting to accept the title as the premier Caribbean team. Too long now the Jamaicans have just  been content to humble the the smaller islands and lose in close encounters to sides on the main land like Panama and the United States. Some may argue that Guyana should even be in CONCACAF with the nation fixed at the apex of South America but everyone familiar with the geo-political runnings of the region knows that Guyana is just as Caribbean of any of the islands in the archipelago. I certainly didn't expect Guyana to get this far and well I don't think much of them as a threat outside the realm of cricket but they are here not at the very end but in touching distance.
 So where are we? Let's start alphabetically and team least likely to progress and that would be, Antigua and Barbuda. The men from St.John's find themselves in Group A this term with the Jamaicans, the enigmatic Guatemala and the United States who need know introduction. The dual island nation will find little joy in this group and to be honest, as much I would  like them to sneak their way through the back door. I can only see pure punishment for the Antiguans. Although some of their players ply their trade in the lower leagues of America and Britain the gulf is too great.
 The "Golden Jaguars," of Guyana sit in Group B with the Central American elite. I find it ironic that Mexico, gave birth to the Aztec civilization one of the richest  cultures in the New World, the Aztecs had an order a of warrior called the Jaguar Knight. This class of warrior got their name because they wore a jaguars skinned pelt into battle. Guyana's first game is against Mexico. That is a pretty bad omen for the South Americans. This could be a real hard lesson for the Guyanese. Luckily that is as bad as it gets for them. The Guyanese them have to take their talents to Mexico's skillful neighbour Costa Rica who are a staple in CONCACAF and can count themselves as being one of the marquee teams in the region. Led by Bryan Ruiz no doubt they will be there at the end of CONCACAF qualifying. Guatemala may not be as stern as the Mexicans and the Costa Ricans but they have had many a battle with the hegemony of the region for years so they know how to carry themselves. I liken them to Peek-A-Boo boxer who doesn't have the a strong inside game or the power of a brawler but waits and wears down opponents with quick jabs. Guyana has something about them this term though but whatever it is they are going to need a flux of it if they are to have any chance.
 Jamaica is the only side out of the trio I have a glimmer of hope for progression. Highlight the word,  "glimmer." Jamaica has been here before. They have made it to the hex before and they have gone further by even making it to a World Cup finals but that was a long time ago. Jamaica were afforded big boy status by starting their campaign like the USA and Mexico at this stage of the qualifiers. They didn't have to go through the long process of wading through teams like Bermuda and St. Lucia to get to this point. Sounds good right? It does in theory but to me, Jamaica is a momentum team who need to steam roll teams from the on set. Simply put, Jamaica has not been playing meaningful games of late, only friendlies so I fear they may have rust or more importantly a blunted edge. Jamaica is a team that has a fair set of runners and they are powerful but are they actually good with the ball? A side can easily pass around them . They have nothing to fear from Antigua they should put them in their place. As for Guatemala that will be close if Jamaica is really energized. The United States is different. They know they have Jamaica's number and Jamaica in recent games against "Uncle Sam's Army," have played really cautious and strained. America know if they can hit Jamaica early it's over for Kinston's finest. Jamaica must and has to play their running, a quick game to progress to the next round. 
 The next stage after this is the hexagonal. The top two from these three groups and if one of these three Caribbean nations could make it to the hex they certainly have a chance to make it to Brazil.