21 MAR. 2025 · Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.
Disappointing night for the USMNT who lost 1-0 to Panama on a stoppage time goal from Cecilio Waterman. Panama's 5-4-1 gave the US fits, and there wasn't enough urgency to find answers or take risks. Mauricio Pochettino said afterwards that the US shirt wasn't enough in games like this, he said you could feel the difference in the hunger shown by the two sets of players, and he said the US needed to take more risks going forward. That's not easy to change overnight, and I'm really curious to see the response in the third place game against Canada on Sunday.
Mexico will face Panama in the Nations League championship match on Sunday after a 2-0 win over Canada on two goals from Raul Jimenez.
The top six teams in South American World Cup qualifying should be fine to qualify. Paraguay is unbeaten in 7 after their 1-0 over Chile. Brazil needed a stoppage time winning deflected goal from Vinicius Junior to beat Colombia. Then, Raphinha needed to prevent Vini from getting a time-wasting yellow card as he was subbed out which would have had him suspended from the Argentina match on Tuesday. Was he trying to get suspended? It looked bizarre.
South Korea, Iran, and Australia should be the next teams from Asia to earn qualification to the World Cup after their results yesterday. New Zealand will face New Caledonia for the Oceania qualifying spot after both won their semifinals.
Denis Bouanga scored twice for Gabon in their win in African World Cup qualifying. The door has cracked open for Nigeria who has struggled mightily so far after Benin could only manage a draw, Nigeria faces Rwanda and can pull to within two points of qualifying with a win. Mozambique moved into a qualification spot with a win, but Algeria could jump them with a win today.
The New York Pancyprian Freedoms became the 6th team to pull off a cupset in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, winning a penalty shootout with FC Cincinnati 2.
England starts their World Cup qualifying journey today, hosting Albania. England are unbeaten in their last 31 World Cup qualifiers and have never dropped points to Albania. The highlight of the qualifiers is tonight as Uruguay hosts Argentina in one of the world's oldest rivalries.
More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.