Calciomercato.com

United States soccer falls to low point, will miss 2018 World Cup

United States soccer falls to low point, will miss 2018 World Cup

  • Matthew Klimberg
It's hard to call an event in a sport that 300 million Americans do not care about the "worst" defeat in American sports history. However, when putting it into context, there are few other words that can accurately describe what happened to the US men's national team last night. 

Amidst a surge of popularity in the country over the last decade, American soccer performance reached its lowest point as the country failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The last time the US did not participate in one was in 1986; when Ronald Reagan was president, and the Soviet Union was still in existence.

However, it was on a muddy pitch in Couva, Trinidad & Tobago, against the 99th ranked team according to FIFA - a team that had lost six consecutive World Cup qualification matches - that the United States achieved the unimaginable by losing 2:1.

Prior to the match, Grant Wahl had noted that the United States had a 83% chance of advancing to Russia, or, roughly the same percentage, the New York Times gave Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the 2016 presidential election. All they needed to do was draw Trinidad & Tobago and goal differential would have likely carried them through to Russia. However, the crippling defeat, combined with Panama and Honduran victories over Costa Rico and Mexico, saw the US drop to fifth in CONCACAF qualifying; one spot from an international playoff against lowly Australia.

In the end, the US finished behind Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. Ironically, it was Panama that America eliminated from the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, which allowed Mexico to go to the World Cup. Now, ironically, Panama is heading to Russia. 

There is much soul searching that the United States Soccer Federation must do. In light of the World Cup failure, calls for a leadership change have already begun. After a cycle that saw them win only three of 10 matches and go through two different managers despite unearthing one of the great American athletes of his generation, Christian Pulisic, it's hard to argue with that sentiment.