The USMNT will play for 3rd-place and a shot at a playoff to qualify for the Olympics after losing 2-0 to Honduras in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
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On the eve of possibly the biggest match in CONCACAF history the region’s eyes shifted slightly this week to the region’s qualification for the 2016 Olympics. “It was a complicated game because it was hard to play against a team where all their players are up in the midfield”. At the last minute, the Honduran goalkeeper got a finger on it to send it over the bar. “We really expected more than that and that part made it easier to reach our objective”.
The two losing teams will have another shot at Rio.
Haiti had a chance to win in injury time on a corner-kick, but could not knock in a loose ball in the box. Fortunately for the 17-year-old, his teammates rushed to his aid and the teams went into the break with the US trailing 1-0.
After the goal, an altercation with the fourth official forced USMNT coach Andi Hertzog, and Honduras manager Carlos Tábora out of the match. Before he left, Herzog removed the orange substitutes’ bib he was wearing to avoid a shirt-color clash with the players and flipped it at Guerra.
“I don’t think we were frustrated by [Honduras’] tactics; we were frustrated by the referee”, Kiesewetter said.
Trapp added: “It’s an emotional game with a lot on the line, and you never want to see a team rolling on the ground, but that’s their right. Can’t fault them for that”.
Allans Vargas’ second minute ejection in the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship’s Group B finale on Wednesday reduced Honduras to 10 men and was a factor in what proved to be a 2-1 loss to Mexico.
Canada meanwhile helped erase a few of their old demons in worldwide play thanks to the work of midfielder Michael Petrasso.
A win for the USA could just be the start of a fantastic day for fans. The second put a dagger in the Americans’ comeback attempt in the 77th minute.
With this loss, the USA will play in the third place game against the loser of Mexico and Canada.
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Still, that doesn’t detract from the disastrous result on Saturday.
