Breaking Down CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying And What the U.S. Needs to Advance

By all measures, World Cup Qualification is going quite swimmingly for Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. men’s national team. 

In their most recent two matches the Yanks have nabbed six total points against Jamaica on the road and Panama at home in Seattle.  These results, particularly the away victory in Jamaica, have been massive steps towards securing one of the three guaranteed CONCACAF World Cup slots. 

As the standings currently sit, the U.S. is atop the group with 10 points in five matches.  Tied for second are Costa Rica (five matches) and Mexico (six matches).  Halfway through the Hexagonal, with home matches left against Mexico, Honduras and Jamaica, the U.S. has been positioning themselves very appetizingly. 

While Qualification certainly looks signed and sealed, crazier things have happened in World Football, so complacency and arrogance is certainly something the Klinsmann and the players must avoid. 

Their next tilt, a home match in Salt Lake against Honduras, is critical for a few reasons. 

First and foremost, it is always necessary to nab three points at home in the CONCACAF Hexagonal, so anything less than a victory is an automatic disappointment.  The U.S. have also gained tons of momentum in their past two matches, the negativity harbored from the last round seems like ancient history and the quality on the pitch is shining through in spades.  To end this slew of games with a disappointing result would leave a sour taste in the mouths of USMNT faithful after what has been an unequivocally successful few weeks.

Not to mention Honduras is the only team the Yanks have lost to in the Hexagonal so far and it is never a good sign to lose to a team twice in the same tournament. 

The U.S. has been playing very well but there is still plenty of room for improvement. 

For starters, the Yanks need to sure up their one-on-one defending, especially on the flanks.  DaMarcus Beasley and Brad Evans have filled in admirably as the left and right back respectively but have been beat off the dribble too easily.  Considering the U.S. are playing in a more traditional 4-4-2 formation as of late, having two wingers on each side of the field should offer plenty of defensive cover on the flanks.

Individual defending on the flanks needs to be a talking point as the team continues to stride towards Qualification for Brazil 2014. 

Also important will be finding another scoring option. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey have carried the scoring responsibilities as of late and it is great news for USMNT fans that these two are playing so well. However, they can only do so much and could hit a dry spell at some point in the Hexagonal. If and when Altidore or Dempsey start to slump, Klinsmann will need others to step up and find the back of the net. 

It will also be important for Klinsmann to re-incorporate the U.S.’ all-time leading scorer Landon Donovan back into the equation as the Hexagonal carries on.

They might not need the attacking prowess and experience of Donovan right now as things are going well; however, if the U.S. slips up and desperately needs results in October against Mexico, having an experienced and dangerous option like Donovan will be critical.  His inclusion will be invaluable to the Yanks in the later stages of World Cup Qualification.

All in all, though, the task of punching a ticket to Brazil is not as daunting as the situation was after the U.S. lost its opening match of the Hexagonal in Honduras. 

If the U.S. can take care of business in the coming matches the conversation will quickly turn to how far the team can go in the World Cup Finals.