SBNation.com - USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 2018 World Cup qualifying: Live coverage and score updateshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2015-11-17T20:53:11-05:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/95159232015-11-17T20:53:11-05:002015-11-17T20:53:11-05:003 things we didn't learn from the USMNT's draw
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<figcaption>Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>If you didn't watch, congratulations! You're better off for that.</p> <p>The United States and Trinidad and Tobago are clearly the two best teams in their World Cup qualifying group and will probably go to the Hex if they avoid disaster. Since they both won their opening games, the two teams appeared to decide pretty early in Tuesday's game that a draw would be just fine. Their 0-0 draw was the most just result possible.</p>
<p>Hilariously, the USMNT almost conceded 30 seconds in. Kenwyne Jones nutmegged Tim Ream and squared for Joevin Jones, but he shot over the crossbar. That was the best chance T&T would get all evening, though they did end the match with more shots than the USMNT. Their second-best chance came in the 13th minute, when Jones turned Geoff Cameron and hit a powerful shot just wide.</p>
<p>While the USMNT was genuinely poor in the first half, they were at least decent in the second half. Gyasi Zardes should have scored in the 47th minute when Jozy Altidore found him with an excellent cross, but he nodded his shot off the crossbar. Jermaine Jones came close with a very speculative 35-yard effort in the 78th minute, actually forcing Jan-Michael Williams into a tough save.</p>
<p>But that was about it for the United States. In stoppage time, Altidore worked hard and did well to win a corner. Michael Bradley proceeded to hit the first defender with it. That sequence was a microcosm of the entire match.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states" class="sbn-auto-link"><b>United States</b></a>: Howard, Ream (Nagbe 68'), Besler, Cameron, Orozco, Johnson, Bradley, Jones, Yedlin, Altidore, Zardes (Wood 75')</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/trinidad-and-tobago" class="sbn-auto-link"><b>Trinidad and Tobago</b></a>: J. Williams, J. Jones, Bateau, Cyrus, Bakr, Cato (Caesar 85'), Hyland, Boucaud (Cummings 82'), M. Williams (Hoyte 76'), George, K. Jones</p>
<h4>3 things</h4>
<p><b>1. Hey, El Clásico is on this weekend</b> -- International soccer generally isn't very good except for the big summer tournaments. You'll be rescued by the highest level of club soccer on Saturday when Real Madrid takes on Barcelona. And if that's not your bag, Milan-Juventus and Liverpool-Man City are on, too. There's a lot of good European club soccer on.</p>
<p><b>2. So are the MLS semifinals!</b> -- There's good American soccer, too! This game wasn't entertaining, but that doesn't mean there isn't good American soccer out there. New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew and FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers should both feature players actually trying to score goals, and probably succeeding.</p>
<p><b>3. The American Messi will come along someday</b> -- Will it happen in your lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. But hey, your kids will probably get to see the American Messi!</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/11/17/9752056/usa-trinidad-tobago-final-score-results-2018-world-cup-qualifyingKim McCauley2015-11-17T18:03:23-05:002015-11-17T18:03:23-05:00Lineups for USMNT vs. T&T
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<figcaption>Patrick Smith/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Michael Orozco Fiscal comes into a shuffled team.</p> <p>The United States have made a small handful of changes to their lineup to face Trinidad and Tobago with a more defensive look Tuesday.</p>
<p>Despite his good performance against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bobby Wood has been dropped to the bench. Gyasi Zardes moves from the wing to striker to take Wood's place, while DeAndre Yedlin moves up to take over the right wing spot. Filling in at right back is Michael Orozco Fiscal, who is a more experienced defender than Yedlin. However, he's played a little more center back than right back.</p>
<p>The moves indicate that Jurgen Klinsmann is committed to the idea of Fabian Johnson at left midfield, for now. And why not? He's been fantastic in that spot for Borussia Mönchengladbach and was the USMNT's best player against SVG on Friday.</p>
<p>As announced previously, Tim Howard takes over for Brad Guzan in goal.</p>
<p>Trinidad and Tobago are playing a counter-attacking lineup and will pack the midfield, with Kenwyne Jones as their lone striker.</p>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states">United States</a></b>: Tim Howard; Tim Ream, Matt Besler, Geoff Cameron, Michael Orozco Fiscal; Fabian Johnson, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, DeAndre Yedlin; Jozy Altidore, Gyasi Zardes</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/trinidad-and-tobago" target="_blank"><b>Trinidad and Tobago</b></a>: Jan Michael Williams; Joevin Jones, Sheldon Bateau, Daneil Cyrus, Radanfah Abu Bakr; Cordell Cato, Khaleem Hyland, Andre Boucaud, Mekeil Williams, Kevan George; Kenwyne Jones</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/11/17/9751662/usa-trinidad-tobago-2018-world-cup-qualifiying-lineups-team-newsKim McCauley2015-11-17T09:59:01-05:002015-11-17T09:59:01-05:00USMNT look to trounce Trinidad & Tobago
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<figcaption>Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The USMNT have a chance to start pulling away from their World Cup qualifying group early on with another win in this match.</p> <p>After the United States survived an early scare in their first World Cup qualifying match to win the match, 6-1, they now have to jet across the Caribbean to visit Trinidad and Tobago, a small team in CONCACAF that nevertheless has flashed some moments of quality, including making the knockout rounds of last summer Gold Cup and causing CONCACAF teams a number of headaches over the years.</p>
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<p>This match gives the USMNT not just a chance to pick up their second qualifying win and to start creating space early in this group stage, but also to start creating separation between them and the rest of the group, as Trinidad also won their first match against Guatemala. A hot start and early separation like that can help make the closing rounds of the qualifiers much easier and lower pressure, and keeping the pressure down is a huge must for a United States national team that's very much in transition right now in terms of its personnel.</p>
<p><b>Key player</b> -- DeAndre Yedlin (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states" class="sbn-auto-link">United States</a>)</p>
<p>Let's not mess around: Yedlin was not good in the USMNT's last match. At all. He got caught out of position or on the wrong foot far too many times, and it cost the US the one goal that St. Vincent earned and gave them a few other difficult moments in the first half. He doesn't just need to do better in this match, he <i>has</i> to, or his place in the national team could be at risk, because if he plays like that against better competition, the USMNT will not win matches.</p>
<p><b>Key factor</b> -- The USMNT's focus</p>
<p>The USMNT came out in the start of their match against St. Vincent assuming that they had already won it -- and then St. Vincent scored just a few minutes in, because the US weren't focused on the match or what they were doing. They were much better after that early scare and bounced back to a resounding 6-1 win, but they can't afford to slip like that again. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/trinidad-and-tobago" class="sbn-auto-link">Trinidad and Tobago</a> may not be top-shelf competition in CONCACAF, but they're certainly much better than St. Vincent, and will be much more lethal in punishing their opponents' mistakes. If the United States comes out flat and looking ahead again, they may give up more than one goal before they wake up, and they're going to have a much harder time scoring six again if they do.</p>
<p><b>Match Date/Time:</b> Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. local</p>
<p><b>Venue:</b> Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/spain" class="sbn-auto-link">Spain</a>, Trinidad and Tobago</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> beIN Sports (U.S. - English), NBC Universo (U.S. - Spanish)</p>
<p><b>Online:</b> beIN Sports Connect, Fubo TV (U.S. - English), <a target="new" href="http://liveextra.telemundo.com/?cid=sbnation">NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra</a> (U.S. - Spanish)</p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com">Listings via LiveSoccerTV.</a></i></p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/11/17/9748042/usa-soccer-trinidad-tobago-2015-live-stream-time-tv-schedule-world-cup-qualifyingConor Dowley