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El Salvador needs win more than USA
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- The United States, assured of playing in the World Cup, wants to tie Mexico for most points in their qualifying group. El Salvador has much more at stake when it plays the Americans on Sunday.It must win the final qualifying game in weather expected to be less than ideal -- blustery with possible snow flurries -- just to have a chance of getting into the 32-country field that plays next June in France.
If El Salvador wins and Mexico beats Jamaica on Sunday, Mexico would finish with 20 points, the United States 14, and El Salvador and Jamaica 13 each. El Salvador would get the third and final qualifying spot from the North and Central American and Caribbean region because if a better goal differential.
"It wouldn't be a miracle if that happened," El Salvador midfielder Jose Mauricio Cienfuegos said. "If we win 1-0 and Mexico wins 1-0, we qualify."
The United States (3-1-5) qualified last Sunday with a 3-0 win over Canada one week after it played a scoreless tie at Mexico. The Americans can't overtake Mexico for first place because of the goal-differential tiebreaker but they can boost their confidence with a win and a Mexican loss, which would leave both at 17 points.
That would eliminate El Salvador, which tied the United States 1-1 on June 29 at San Salvador. In their other game in Foxboro Stadium, the Americans tied Mexico 2-2 on April 20.
"The weather will be a factor and it could work against us," said Cienfuegos, who played for the Los Angeles Galaxy in a driving rainstorm at Foxboro during last year's MLS championship game. "But the U.S. is also not used to these conditions. Their league is a summer league."
"We're not too concerned about their their qualification aspirations," said Roy Wegerle, who had two goals and an assist against Canada. "We want to win it for ourselves and, hopefully, tie Mexico for points. That would be a great way for us to go to France."
The game also may mean a lot for U.S. coach Steve Sampson. Despite strong outings in his team's last two games and only one loss in the first nine qualifying games, he could be replaced before the tournament begins.
"I'm going to just go about my business," Sampson said.
His stock sank after a 1-1 tie against Jamaica at Washington in the Americans' seventh game. It presumably rose with the tie against Mexico and the win at Canada.
Sampson's contract is up after Sunday's game and U.S. Soccer Federation officials are expected to meet a week from Sunday. USSF president Alan Rothenberg is likely to decide Sampson's fate soon after that.
"We're all behind Steve," Wegerle said.
The Americans play less conservatively than they did in the 1994 World Cup and have "a lot more confidence going into matches," Sampson said. "They don't fear anybody now. ... We're going to make it very, very difficult for El Salvador."
But Sampson won't be using his best players since 12 members of the team have one yellow caution card each.
"The big picture is the main thing, even at the expense of my own career," Sampson said. "We would love to finish with the same number of points as Mexico. That's only for our own egos and our own self-worth."
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan