September 2021 | Page 4

The qualification for the FIFA World Cup is done thru its six Confederations : Africa , Asia , Europe , Oceania , North , Central America & Caribbean ( Concacaf ) and South America . Each one of them holds a championship among its members to appoint the nations that will represent the region in the utmost world competition .
U . S ., as a member , qualifies thru Concacaf – Confederation of North America , Central America and the Caribbean . Concacaf designed a competition that would give to all of its 35 members a chance to compete . It designated five top ranked nations , Costa Rica , Honduras , Jamaica , Mexico and USA to get a pass thru . Canada , El Salvador and Panama were the top three from the First Round of qualifying , where 30 Concacaf Member Associations competed in six groups of five teams , and the Second Round of qualifying which included the six First Round group winners facing off each other in three home and away matchups .
This is the first time the Qualification is having 8 nations — OCTAGONAL , marking the end of the previous Hexagonal ( six nations ).
The OCTAGONAL will compete from September 2021 to March 2022 . Each nation will play a total of 14 games round-robin , home and away against each of the other 7 teams .
Covid-19 pandemic interfered with the competition . The schedule had to be squeezed from 13 months to only seven . U . S . will play three matches during the four of the international windows rather than the usual two matches .
Salvadorans started building up confidence , pushed by the home crowd , suffocated U . S . in its own goal area . Americans tried to slow the tempo but they wouldn ’ t allow it . Their play were fueled by boiling blood , they ’ re home .
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