I know this is the opinion page, so the last thing you want to see is a piece about sports. Being in a small town, that probably holds truer on story about soccer. But this my story and space so I guess just deal with it.

Bruce Arena, the head coach for the United States Men’s National Team, has a lot to think about before Oct. 6 game against Panama. After going unbeaten in 14 games since taking over for Jürgen Klinsmann last
November.

We are very late in the qualifying cycle for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the United States is far from qualifying. With two games left to play in October, the USA is currently sitting tied for fourth.

The top three teams automatically qualify for the world cup while the fourth place team is put in a two-legged playoff.

On Sept. 5 the United States had the opportunity to push itself into a very favorable spot with a win against Honduras, but a loss would all but write them out of the
world cup.

After going down a goal in the 27th minute in the blistering heat of San Pedro Sula, things were not looking good for the Yanks. A loss would put them in fifth behind Honduras. Luckily, Bobby Wood, a second-half substitute, would save the United States and put it in control of its own destiny, with a late equalizer.

Just as important as the one point the U.S. received from this game was the two points it denied Honduras. With the tie the pair are locked together in fourth with nine points each. If points are tied at the
end of qualifying the next tie breaker is goal differential. The U.S. currently is +1 in goal differential while Honduras is -11.

The way things sit, the United States, Honduras and Panama are essentially playing a three-team mini league to decide who gets an automatic berth to the world cup; who has to play in the playoff against either Australia or Syria; and who misses the World Cup entirely.

I will let you look up all the scenarios for the U.S. to make it to Russia, but the easiest way is to win the final two games against Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.

The only way the U.S. wouldn’t automatically qualify is if Honduras won
both of its games and made up the goal differential. No player has looked good enough in either of the last two games and that has to change moving toward the final stretch. U.S. soccer has been building on and off the field. More people are watching and paying attention to the USMNT.

Missing the World Cup would make the casual fan who is starting to tune in, turn right back around and push soccer back to being a joke in the United States.