Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who became a U.S. citizen in September, will look to earn his first cap with the U.S. Men's National Team as the U.S. Men begin their qualification campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup this Friday with a match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines (4pm PT, ESPN2).
The match is part of the fourth of five rounds of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. In this round, the remaining twelve teams from the region are split into three groups of four teams. After round robin play, which will conclude next September, the top two teams from each group will advance to the fifth and final round of qualification, the Hexagonal.
- MLSSOCCER.COM: CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying 101
The USMNT have been drawn into Group C, a group which also features St. Vincent and the Grenandines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guatemala. After their match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, the U.S. will travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to face the Soca Warriors in the second match of group play on November 17 (3:30pm PT, beIN SPORTS).
GROUP C
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>T</strong> |
<strong>Pts.</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>Diff.</strong> |
USA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
GUATEMALA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Nagbe, though, is not the only Timber participating in World Cup qualifying during the international break. Midfielder Will Johnson has been called in by the Canadian Men's National Team and defender Alvas Powell by the Jamaican Men's National Team. Johnson will try to help Canada reach its first Hexagonal since 1998 World Cup qualification, while Powell will try to help the Reggae Boyz advance to their first World Cup Final since France 98.
Johnson and his Canadian compatriots will open Group A play with a match against Honduras on Friday at BC Place in Vancouver, BC (7pm PT, TSN1 in Canada). The Canadians will then travel to San Salvador to face El Salvador on November 17 (3pm PT).
GROUP A
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>T</strong> |
<strong>Pts.</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>Diff.</strong> |
MEXICO |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
HONDURAS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
CANADA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
EL SALVADOR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Jamaica, meanwhile, will open its Group B play at home in Kingston against Panama (who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup) on Friday (5pm PT), before traveling to Port au Prince, Haiti on November 17 for a rematch of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal, which Jamaica won 1-0 (3pm PT).
GROUP B
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>T</strong> |
<strong>Pts.</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>Diff.</strong> |
COSTA RICA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
PANAMA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
HAITI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
JAMAICA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
