Mixed results for the U.S. Men‘s program Tuesday night – wrapping up the international break by staying on track to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but missing out on this summer’s Rio Olympics. The national team thrashed Guatemala, 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Columbus, to reverse a dismal 2-0 loss in Guatemala on Friday. Which of those very different performances represents the real U.S. team? We may not know for quite a while; the last pair of games in this stage of the competition don’t come until September, with the U.S. in a fairly comfortable position to advance to next year’s six-team final qualifying stage. Meanwhile in Dallas, the U.S. U-23 team lost the battle, and the war as well, in a chippy 2-1 loss to Colombia in an intercontinental playoff for the last spot in Rio. The U-23s got two red cards, but not a single shot on goal; their only marker came on a Colombian own-goal.
Some 14 local high school teams made it through last week’s bi-district round of state soccer playoffs. They’ll play the next two rounds this Friday and Saturday, and Monday and Tuesday, with the regional finals next weekend, and the state tournament will again be in Georgetown, April 13-16, at Birkelbach Field.
Also this weekend: The Spanish Clásico – Real Madrid at Barcelona – is Saturday at 1:15pm on BeIN Sports… And the expansion San Antonio FC plays their first game in Seattle April 3, before the home opener April 9. See more info at www.uslsanantonio.com.
This article appears in Our Next (P)resident.