Sports Burst – Russian Roulette
Final push for USA, an anxious Argentina and Rocket Ronaldo required.
By Tim Stannard
1) USA face Caribbean clincher for World Cup
A win. Just one more win.
That’s all Bruce Arena’s men need to deliver on Tuesday night in a damp Trinidad and Tobago. Just one more win to ensure another World Cup adventure for the USMNT and sports bars around the US of A being boosted next summer by some very daytime drinking, as fans watch the rumbles in Russia with BBQ chicken wings in hand.
In fact, the qualification scenarios are even better than that. A point should be enough. The only way it wouldn’t would be is if the US drew and Panama were to beat Costa Rica by an eight-goal margin to knock the US into the play-off spot and face a match-up against Australia, who polished off Syria early Tuesday morning. Not even the wonderful region of CONCACAF could deliver a result like that (?)
The rains seem to have abated in Trinidad Tobago to see a formerly partly-flooded Ato Boldon pitch looking a little drier. While the US have yet to win an away game in the Hex, Bruce Arena’s men are facing a side with just single victory from nine games.
But should disaster strike, Panama on 10 points will be waiting in the wings to leap into third. And should disaster strike the US and Panama, then Honduras will be waiting in the wings to leap into third, playing Mexico at home. But more realistically, both nations will be fighting for the play-off spot.
Everything is live, live, live on beIN SPORTS with coverage of Trinidad and Tobago v USA beginning from 7PM with Carlos Bocanegra, Cobi Jones and Jonathan Spector in the house.
2) Argentina face final call for plane to Russia
A good night for Schadenfreude fans in South America is upon us, as a host of big-wigs scramble desperately for those final CONMEBOL berths at the World Cup.
Brazil are in, Uruguay are all but in. That leaves two automatic spots with Chile, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay all with a chance of reaching them – or the single play-off spot at worse.
Argentina have landed themselves in quite the pickle needing a victory against Ecuador to have a chance of making the top-four, and that is by no means guaranteed. “Beyond the numbers, Argentina deserve (to qualify)" claimed straight-faced Argentina manager, Jorge Sampaoli, on a side that sits in sixth, with just six wins from 17 and the second least amount of goals scored.
That game is live on beIN SPORTS Español from 7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT. Elsewhere, Chile need to get something out of Brazil, Paraguay need to power through against Venezuela and Peru face Colombia in a match up could define the whole shake-up at the end of the evening. All clashes are live on beIN SPORTS, beIN CONNECT and beIN SPORTS Español from 7:30PM ET / 4:40PM PT.
3) Ronaldo needed in final push for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is a man in demand once again. This time it’s for Portugal. Unlike the rather complex qualifying affair across the Atlantic, the situation in Group B in Europe is simple. Switzerland and Portugal, the top two teams are playing each other.
If Portugal beat their rivals in a home clash then Portugal are going to World Cup. Anything less, then the European Champions will have to head into the play-offs of doom.
The challenge sounds simple enough but Portugal labored horribly against Andorra over the weekend and relied on the Real Madrid rampager to come off the bench to put his side into the lead.
"I know that what Cristiano wants is to be at the World Cup next year,” was the stunning revelation from Pepe ahead of Tuesday’s show-stopping clash.
4) One giant leap for France on road to Russia
Two other groups are being wrapped up in Europe on Tuesday.
One includes France, a side with some football Goliaths but being made to work for their ticket to Russia. A win for the French at home to Belarus guarantees a World Cup final berth. Anything less and Sweden can jump above them if they beat the Netherlands, a team needing a 12-goal swing to have a chance of scraping into second spot.
Belgium have long since wrapped up Group H. Greece need to secure spot with a win against Gibraltar. Which should be doable. The wait will then be on to see which of the nine second-placed teams will miss out on the eight play-off places due to the worst points record. Slovakia are currently in that sticky spot.
Tune into a special edition of the XTRA at 10PM ET / 7PM PT for a full wrap-up of all the qualifying across the world and reaction to everything in the US and South America.
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The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. SB is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time.