USMNT facing critical qualifier vs. Costa Rica

In defense of its decision to award Columbus the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, rather than one against Mexico, the U.S. Soccer Federation said the home match against Costa Rica is the game that is most likely to make or break the Americans’ qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

That very much appears to be the case entering Wednesday’s 7 p.m. kickoff at Lower.com Field, especially following a 1-0 loss at Panama on Sunday, the first loss of the qualifying cycle for the U.S.

After five of 14 games in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, the USMNT is tied with Panama in second place with eight points. Just one point separates them from fourth-place Canada. The top three teams in CONCACAF — currently led by Mexico with 11 points — qualify for the World Cup with the No. 4 team entering a one-game playoff against an as-yet-undetermined opponent from another region.

In 2017 when the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, even though they lost to Trinidad & Tobago in their final game, it was the 2-0 home loss to Costa Rica that was seen as the decisive factor in the USMNT missing out on soccer’s biggest stage for the first time since 1986.

The recipe for making the World Cup is to win your home games and draw on the road. Not getting a point in Panama on Sunday has amplified the pressure for a young, still relatively inexperienced American squad to get all three points against Costa Rica, or coach Gregg Berhalter and his team will have to sweat through the final eight games of qualification having not yet played Mexico.

BARBARA J. PERENIC/COLUMBUS DISPATCH The United States men's soccer team enters Wednesday's World Cup qualifier at Lower.com Field in second place of the CONCACAF standings with eight points.