Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
El Tri is a little better than Curacao and Jamaica, so we'd better be ready. We can score, but they have the more potent attack. Going to need a strong defensive effort. Really looking forward to the match.
I watched the game this morning and thought we played well. Really pleased that the entire game (4+ hrs with pre & post commentary) was recorded so props to YTTV.
CONCACAF is changing its qualifying format for 2022 with the video here explaining the change:
In short, it's going to be like this. The Hex will still be played but will only involve the top 6 teams in the FIFA World rankings (which as of now, would be Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador) after the FIFA window of June 2020. For the remaining teams in the confederation (teams 7-35), they'll go into a group stage comprised of eight groups (five groups of four and three groups of three). The first place finishers of the eight groups will then go into a single elimination knockout stage with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals played in a home-and-home format. The winner of the knockout stage will then play the 4th place finisher in the Hex to determine the CONCACAF representative in the intercontinental playoff.
My initial take is that this change is good (if I was from a 7-35 country, mebbe not).
If nothing else, it will give the Caribbean sides more opportunity to play matches.
but the top six will have fewer matches but could give them the opportunity to schedule more difficult opponents in friendlies (although the competitive level is not as high there so not as effective imo).
Big news set to be announced in St. Louis next week:
Congrats, St. Louis. Does the ownership own the USL Championship team? IOW, would Pulis junior be in charge and the team elevated to MLS?
Jim Kavanaugh of the ownership group is also part of the ownership group that owns STL FC of USL. No they wouldn't be "moving" up since every new MLS team is a new entity. Most likely what will happen is STL FC will become the "MLS 2" team for the new St. Louis MLS team. (ala NY Red bulls 2, Portland 2 etc). My guess is they would still play out at Soccer Park in Fenton, but they could also be moved. The ownership group Jim K. is apart of that owns STL FC also owns Saint Louis Scott Galagher Soccer Club (SLSG) and that will become the Academy for the new MLS team.
Thanks. SLSG always fields strong teams. I wonder if Pulis will be elevated to manage the MLS team. The new stadium seems like it's going to be first rate and its location is VG.