1. Canadian football is not competitive. A
second consecutive first round exit in the Gold Cup combined with poor showings
in the last several World Cup qualifying tournaments show that Canada cannot
compete in Concacaf. They need to change their strategy and hope that the
Canadian MLS and NASL teams can develop enough talent to make the competitive.
They also need to ensure that players don’t opt to represent other countries
instead of the Reds.
2. Caribbean nations dominate politics, not on
the pitch. While the Caribbean block may hold enough power to determine elections
in the region, on the pitch they continue to lag behind North and Central
America. Two did teams made it out of pool play (Cuba beat Belize, so they don’t
get as much credit). While that is better than some previous years, the Caribbean
teams get eliminated early from most competitions.
3. Even playing at half speed, the US can win.
Donovan back on the team gave a moral boost to the US. The US “B” team
played ok and showed a few moments of good football. Overall, we didn’t see
anything special. Even without playing their best, the US won the Gold Cup and
with it half a ticket to the Confederations Cup in Russia.
4. A team, that is not even a country, can
make life hell for “Big teams”. Martinique is not a member of FIFA. Heck,
they are not even a country! While they can draw from French players with Martinican
descent, it is crazy to think they cannot only beat teams like Canada, but also
play strong games against Mexico.
5. Honduras cannot delivery results when it
needs it the most. Third semifinal exit in the last 3 tournaments. Will they ever make it past this stage? Not in the near future. Their players need to develop mentally before they can achieve bigger things.
6. Panama is a force in Concacaf It is no surprise
to have Panama in the Hexagonal. They had a good start and still have a good chance
to qualify. This tournament represents the second time they have made it to the
final. Third time is a charm?
7. Mexico is no longer the big dog. Remember
when Mexico beat Martinique 9-0 in 1993? Remember when playing in the Azteca
mean a guaranteed lost for any team? Those days are gone. Two defeats to Panama
and a semifinals exit shows how low Mexican football has fallen. While it is
too soon to prescribe their doom, teams no longer fear Mexico and fear was
their number one ally in the past.
