Talk about a dream debut! Ricardo Pepi in his USA men’s national team (USMNT) debut scored a goal and provided two assists as the United States came from behind to win a four to one nail-biter in front of a hostile Honduran crowd. This is the USMNTs’ third game in their early World Cup qualification campaign the first two were draws to El Salvador away scoreless and all one in Nashville against Canada.
The United States is in the CONCACAF region, this puts them up against competition like Mexico, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, and Jamaica. CONCACAF is mainly the North and Central American countries, and the Caribbean. Many international and especially in regions like South America and Europe whose strength of schedule is a lot harder than the USA, don’t look at them with the same respect. It would be like the SEC to the Big 12 and surrounding football conferences. CONCACAF has its main horses like the USA and Mexico, but I think when they’re compared by their World Cups to countries like Italy, Germany, Brazil they fall short. The only way to gain that respect this team knows is by winning, they’re trying to set that standard by winning two trophies this summer in the CONCACAF nations league thrilling game of a final that the USA knocked off their rival, Mexico, and won 3-2. The second trophy of the summer came in the Gold Cup in which the USA once again knocked off their rival Mexico in the same summer in a major final one to nothing. Games like these the USA don’t always win, they’re trying to earn their respect more regionally.
Mexico is usually the bully of CONCACAF soccer, and from that, I think the USMNT can grow into a stronger run coming in next November for the World Cup being held in Qatar.
September 10, 2021
