USMNT to return to Trinidad to qualify for Cup

The United States could start qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Trinidad, where the Americans flopped on the final night three years ago and failed to reach the 2018 tournament.

“We know what happened last time around, and it could just be an opportunity for us to go out, start really strong right away and obviously get some revenge there, as well,” star attacker Christian Pulisic said after Wednesday's draw. “So that would be a really big game.”

The Americans open their 14-match round with four games next June and close in early 2022 with a difficult stretch. They are at Mexico on Feb. 1, 2022, probably in the altitude of Mexico City's Estadio Azteca; play at home on March 25, most likely against Panama or Curacao, then finish March 29 at Costa Rica.

“You have 11 games before that to get the group used to playing in these qualifying games and then you have two of the harder opponents away from home,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “The other way to look at it is if you can take care of all your business beforehand, you could be a very good position going in those games.”

The U.S. qualified for seven straight World Cups before missing the 2018 tournament. The Americans are among five nations with direct berths in the final round of North and Central American and Caribbean qualifying — known as the octagonal — joined by Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Jamaica. A much transformed team is headed by Pulisic and could include goalkeeper Zack Steffen, defender Sergino Dest, midfielders Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, and forward Josh Sargent. The top three nations in the octagonal qualify for the 32-team tournament in Qatar that starts Nov. 21, 2022, the first World Cup shifted from its traditional late May-June start in an accommodation to the region's summer heat. The fourth-place team advances to a two-leg intercontinental playoff in June 2022.

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