Qatar v El Salvador. Uhh....no idea. Qatar (the 2022 World Cup host) is a team worth getting to know, you will definitely see them next summer (next summer?) at the World Cup. But I didn't see any of their group games, so I got nothing. El Salvador seems like a pushover squad, but they've always got one pain in the ass dude that will steal your game if you left him. So I'll go ahead and say El Salvador 1-0.
Mexico v Honduras. This one should be fun. I caught Mexico's draw with Trinidad (even contest, both teams had chances and whiffed) and Honduras 3-2 Panama was a fun one, lots of action all over the field. Over the years, as I've gotten ever more impressed with Mexico's on-field talent, I get less impressed with their overall team play; the steady accretion of talent has yet to make the team overall better (just like USA). Mexico is surely the better team at probably just about every position, but I doubt the talent gap is wide enough that Honduras can't snatch a W. I'll take Mexico but I expect this to be an old fashioned tussle. I'll say Mexico 2-1.
Canada v Costa Rica. Canada's talent has steadily developed over the years but Canadian soccer has never struck fear into anyone. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, Suriname and Jamaica to get here, not the most overwhelming lineup but they knocked down everyone put in front of them. I gotta go with Costa Rica 2-0.
USA v Jamaica. Like Mexico, USA had steadily improved its soccer development infrastructure over the last 20 years but I don't feel any grand shift in strategy or tactics, if the talent is so much better, why aren't we seeing it on the field? Jamaica always has speed and surprise but USA should be able to outlast them. I'll say USA 1-0.
(*) Pretty basic observations. I watched all the USA group games and a handful of others, but I'm not back on my soccer game just yet. How is World Cup '22 going to happen? Is the Sport schedule back on track...or did I celebrate prematurely?
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