# World Cup qualification matches **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 26, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036 "2013-03-26T19:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/161 "2013-09-17T07:52:05Z")
Rugby is a much better candidate for showing how an off-field referee can be used, due to the similar free-flowing nature. > **[Instant replay | Rugby union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_referee#Rugby_union)** > > Use of video referee by referees was introduced to rugby union in 2001. The laws of the game allow for "an official who uses technological devices" to be consulted by the referee in decisions relating to scoring a try or a kick at goal. The decision to call on the video referee (now called "Television Match Official (TMO)") is made by the referee following discussion with the assistant referees/touch judges and cannot be instigated by the players or coaches of either team. When concernin In a po... As far as I remember, they are a lot more open to using video evidence to punish a player after a game as well. A further thing that football should take from rugby is that when a player is down injured the physio can come on the field, but the game continues around them. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/162 "2013-09-17T10:01:49Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Post-game replay checking for diving and unsportsmanlike behavior, with resulting fines and suspensions, I have no issue with, either. This…It is not a problem to have a “citing” commission to look into any incident being it diving or reversing on-field punishment. The fact that it can’t happen at every level of football is immaterial, there are already vast differences between grass-roots and the professional game that such an additional measure is hardly going to make a difference. I feel very sorry for the referees. They have one look, through one set of eyes from one angle and have to make a game-changing decision (and get hammered when it is inevitably wrong) or they choose not to make a game-changing decision (and get hammered for it when it is inevitably wrong). Even the incident upthread is forgivable, for all the ire being heaped on the officials in that case it is perfectly reasonable that they didn’t have a clear view and had to make a snap-decision. Now either they mistook what they saw and made an honest error or they saw it perfectly clearly and made a corrupt decision to book him, in the clear knowledge that multiple camera angles would damn that decision after the fact. I suspect the former. No-one, either this thread or in the media can say with any confidence whether the ref made the right decision on the evidence available to him because no-one else is in his shoes at the time. Everyone in the game has to get used to the fact that refs are fallible, it is part of the game until such time as FIFA allow real-time video reviews of contentious decisions. I have a list of simple suggestions that, if the authorities have the balls to back them, will rid the professional game of cheating and tone down the contempt for authority that poisons it all. 1. Any back-chat at all to the ref is an instant card, shown to the full mob that surrounds the ref if need be. 2. A citing commission for each game with meaningful punishments for cheats leading ultimately to points deductions 3. Ref can call on a video ref. to review decisions when the game is stopped, Each team is given two appeals against ref decisions. Wrong appeal - lose one life. Thing is, you have to do all these things at once to make a meaningful cultural change. 1 & 2 if properly enforced would clean up and speed up the game within a few weeks meaning the extra time needed to implement 3 is negligible. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/163 "2013-09-17T13:26:33Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > To expand on what has already been said on this, the problem definitely lies with FIFA. Their position is that the game should be played with the same level of officiating at all levels, from Sunday Leagues to the World Cup. This clearly just will not do, but FIFA insist that is how it should be. > > One day Blatter and his “yes” men will go and we may get some progress. Agreed. Blatter is a moron, and that’s putting it mildly. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced Platini is any better. > [@amanset](#): > > In case you haven’t seen it, here is the goal that was not given to England in the 2010 World Cup. It would have meant England had got back to 2-2 from 2-0 down and Germany would have been wobbily. Instead it left England crestfallen and they fell apart. > > That, to me, is an utterly disgusting decision and every German player should have been ashamed of themselves for accepting it. The entire defence saw it. The goalkeeper definitely saw it, grabbed the ball OUT OF THE GOAL and played on. One of the absolute worst decisions I have seen in a major tournament and I have no respect for the German football team after it. > > Personally, I think England should refuse to take part in any further tournaments until FIFA adapts and starts to use technology for off-field refereeing. It needs someone to take a stand. Even as an England fan, I can’t agree with this. Disappointing as the decision was, you can’t expect the German team to do anything else. What are they meant to do, score a deliberate own goal? Protest to the referee that it was a goal? In either case they would be (rightly) castigated by their management and fans. You have to accept the decision of the on-field officials under the current system, good or bad. If the roles had been reversed, I would have been furious if the England team had done anything other than what happened in reality. Also, for England to stage a unilateral boycott now would just look petty, and would almost certainly be ineffectual. We get enough hate from other countries as it is. There was a similar, but even more egregious case a few years ago involving then Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll. A long-distance shot had caught him well off his line. He scrambled back and scooped the ball out of the net when it was about 2 yards over the goal line. Of course, it was obviously a goal on replay, but in real time I can believe his (and the officials’) defence that it all happened too quickly to be certain of the outcome without a replay. I don’t think it’s fair to describe that as cheating. > [@glee](#): > > The situation against Ukraine (we were away) was that a draw would keep us one point clear in the group, with two home games to come. > A win would have been great (but we don’t have any world-class players :rolleyes:) and a loss would put us in danger of not qualifying. And of course after a loss there would be banner headlines calling for Hodgson to be instantly sacked… > > So I sympathise with Hodgson. Yes, he played for a draw - and he got it comfortably. Yes, Hodgson is probably just what the England team has been looking for - an English coach not afraid of pragmatism when required. No an England team under Keegan or Hoddle would have gone out there, played free-flowing attacking football, and lost 3-2. Most England fans should be satisfied with our situation. Hodgson knows what he’s doing. > [@amanset](#): > > Rugby is a much better candidate for showing how an off-field referee can be used, due to the similar free-flowing nature. > > [Instant replay - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_referee#Rugby_union) > > As far as I remember, they are a lot more open to using video evidence to punish a player after a game as well. A further thing that football should take from rugby is that when a player is down injured the physio can come on the field, but the game continues around them. Rugby is usually significantly less “free-flowing” than football - there tend to be many more natural stoppages in play. I agree with you in general, but not about the physios coming on to the field - the area of play tends to change in football much more quickly than in rugby, and in rugby the team in possession can change their tactics slightly to avoid the injured player without damaging their overall chances, which is not necessarily the case in football where you tend to want to use a much larger area of pitch in a short space of time. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/164 "2013-09-17T16:07:43Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Even as an England fan, I can’t agree with this. Disappointing as the decision was, you can’t expect the German team to do anything else. What are they meant to do, score a deliberate own goal? Protest to the referee that it was a goal? In either case they would be (rightly) castigated by their management and fans. You have to accept the decision of the on-field officials under the current system, good or bad. If the roles had been reversed, I would have been furious if the England team had done anything other than what happened in reality. Also, for England to stage a unilateral boycott now would just look petty, and would almost certainly be ineffectual. We get enough hate from other countries as it is. But it does happen. Just last month: > **[Yeovil 3-3 Birmingham (2-3 pens)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23764050)** > > Yeovil let Birmingham score into an empty net during a League Cup tie that ends with the Blues winning a penalty shoot-out. > [@](#): > > Yeovil let Birmingham walk in a goal unopposed to make amends for their own “unsporting” equaliser - but were still knocked out of the Capital One Cup on penalties. And then back in 1999 (it sticks in my head as my Dad is a Blades fan), Arsenal had a replay with Sheffield United after they won due to a goal that was not against the rules, it was just unsporting. > **[17. Arsène Wenger offers FA Cup rematch](https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ars-ne-wenger-offers-fa-cup-rematch)** > > Arsène Wenger offers an FA Cup rematch to Sheffield United 13 February 1999 The FA Cup often throws up weird and wonderful situations but in 1999 Highbury witnessed one of the strangest episodes in the competition's history. Arsenal were drawn at... > [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Rugby is usually significantly less “free-flowing” than football - there tend to be many more natural stoppages in play. I agree with you in general, but not about the physios coming on to the field - the area of play tends to change in football much more quickly than in rugby, and in rugby the team in possession can change their tactics slightly to avoid the injured player without damaging their overall chances, which is not necessarily the case in football where you tend to want to use a much larger area of pitch in a short space of time. I disagree on the stoppages, footie has a fair few as well. And distance kicking is pretty damn common as well. But without actual stats we won’t get anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/165 "2013-09-17T18:54:34Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Every new England manager is immediately put under unreasonable pressure by the media. > Because we won the World Cup in 1966 (at home), the papers always claim we can win whatever tournament we are in (World Cup; European Championship.) > Actually, we haven’t reached a final since 1966. :smack: > > The situation against Ukraine (we were away) was that a draw would keep us one point clear in the group, with two home games to come. > A win would have been great (but we don’t have any world-class players :rolleyes:) and a loss would put us in danger of not qualifying. And of course after a loss there would be banner headlines calling for Hodgson to be instantly sacked… > > So I sympathise with Hodgson. Yes, he played for a draw - and he got it comfortably. > But until England starts developing young players with ball skills, we’ll never do any better. I find your post to be highly seditious:p In all honesty, I hate this attitude: England have had some very good teams since 1966, several of which have had a fairly good chance of winning the World Cup, even if we haven’t been outright favourites since 1970. Okay I’ll admit that the current team are far from vintage and if we were to win next years World Cup it would be a fairly big upset. However that’s no excuse to play against teams that we can beat with a total lack of ambition and imagination. We need to push the team forward. The result wasn’t that bad, but the manner we played was and the only real saving grace for having no plan to score goals was that we were without our 3 best forwards. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/166 "2013-09-17T19:32:39Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > I find your post to be highly seditious:p > > In all honesty, I hate this attitude: England have had some very good teams since 1966, several of which have had a fairly good chance of winning the World Cup, even if we haven’t been outright favourites since 1970. > > Okay I’ll admit that the current team are far from vintage and if we were to win next years World Cup it would be a fairly big upset. However that’s no excuse to play against teams that we can beat with a total lack of ambition and imagination. We need to push the team forward. The result wasn’t that bad, but the manner we played was and the only real saving grace for having no plan to score goals was that we were without our 3 best forwards. My Dad and I watched the 1966 World Cup final live. I’ve followed the England team ever since but it’s hard to get your hopes up when there have been 11 consecutive World Cup Finals and 12 consecutive European Championship Finals without England playing. The English Football Assocation is better at arguing and sex scandals than running the game. Our young players run around on full-size pitches and play long balls to a tall striker. Spain, Brazil (and others) use small areas with emphasis on ball control. Our wealthy clubs prefer not to release players to the English team if they have ket matches coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/167 "2013-09-18T12:56:04Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > But it does happen. Just last month: > > [Yeovil 3-3 Birmingham (2-3 pens) - BBC Sport](http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23764050) > > And then back in 1999 (it sticks in my head as my Dad is a Blades fan), Arsenal had a replay with Sheffield United after they won due to a goal that was not against the rules, it was just unsporting. > > [17. Arsène Wenger offers FA Cup rematch | History | News | Arsenal.com](http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ars-ne-wenger-offers-fa-cup-rematch) Sure, I know it does happen - I was going to mention Paolo Di Canio catching the ball, and was it Robbie Fowler deliberately missing a penalty agains Arsenal? But not in this situation - even the German goalkeeper could hardly have been certain it was over the line. They’re different situations, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/168 "2013-10-11T21:39:58Z")
Italy, Switzerland Belgium have all qualified for the World Cup today. England fairly strong with a 4-1 win against Montenegro with an excellent debut by Andros Townsend who scored a peach of a goal. Unfortunately we still have to win our next match against Poland to avoid the 2nd place play-offs (we currently lead the group, but 2nd place Ukraine have a virtually guaranteed win against San Marino in their last game). I’m pretty confident though that England will win at home against a Poland team with nothing to play for. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/169 "2013-10-11T21:54:58Z")
Sorry, that should be Germany, not Italy (who have already qualified). ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/170 "2013-10-12T14:19:33Z")
Mexico beats Panama on an 85th minute bicycle kick that was spectacular. [The video highlights are here](http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1580882/raul-jimenez-bicycle-kick-gives-mexico-win-panama?cc=5901), with the bicycle kick at about the 1 minute mark. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/171 "2013-10-16T03:38:13Z")
Holy Crap! Panama 2 USA 1 and Costa Rica 2 Mexico 1 both in stoppage time. If the scores hold Panama is in Brazil and Mexico stays home for the first time since 1982. The USA scores twice, crushing Panama and their fans and sending their arch-rival Mexico to the World Cup (pending a playoff with New Zealand.) I’ve seen reports that there were some very strange noises in Los Angeles as the Mexican fans exploded until they realized they were cheering for the US. If I were the US, I’d send that bus straight to the airport. Panama City has a very high murder rate. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/172 "2013-10-16T03:43:25Z")
I’m a USA fan and I feel like I was punched in the gut. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/173 "2013-10-16T04:25:46Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Panama 2 USA 1 and Costa Rica 2 Mexico 1 both in stoppage time. If the scores hold Panama is in Brazil and Mexico stays home for the first time since 1982. I wondered what all the shouting was about outside a little while ago. > [@](#): > > If I were the US, I’d send that bus straight to the airport. Panama City has a very high murder rate. The murder rate isn’t that high, but the city has now gone very, very quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/174 "2013-10-16T05:53:09Z")
Mexican TV coverage of the last minutes: [![]( "YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz1XhaBT45I) ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/175 "2013-10-16T06:51:19Z")
:eek: I don’t even know what to say, except that that right there is why we love sports… …unless you’re from Panama tonight, in which case you probably can’t really appreciate what just happened. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/176 "2013-10-16T06:57:06Z")
It was a miracle for Mexico, a miracle made by the USA. I saw many comments that noticed the funny situation, many fans appeared to not root for their own teams. There were USA fans rooting for Panama, Mexicans rooting for USA and hating their own team. [http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1679/us-national-team/2013/10/16/4336754/ives-galarcep-usa-earns-bragging-rights-by-saving-mexico?ICID=OP](http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1679/us-national-team/2013/10/16/4336754/ives-galarcep-usa-earns-bragging-rights-by-saving-mexico?ICID=OP) > [@](#): > > Mexican TV announcers sang the praises of the Americans, while also bashing the Mexican national team for lacking heart and failing to “play for the shirt.” The message was clear to El Tri. Why can’t you have heart and balls like the Americans? > > That is just one reason why saving Mexico provides the USA with a special kind of bragging rights. There are the multiple Dos A Cero wins in Columbus, the unforgetable Dos A Cero in the 2002 World Cup, and now the night the Gringos saved Mexico in Panama. So, Mexico will have a chance and the record shows that on recent encounters Mexico did beat New Zealand, but with this current Mexican team that is not so certain. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/177 "2013-10-16T07:22:47Z")
Mexico should beat New Zealand comfortably, but they’ve struggled against so many crappy CONCACAF in important matches recently nothing is certain. Mexico are obviously under-performing, but I don’t them very highly anyway. When we (England) played them in 2010 in a friendly it was one of our weakest recent home performances, but it was still one of our easiest wins. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/178 "2013-10-16T15:16:13Z")
Here is the epic transalation of the Mexican announcers, praising the USA and destroying Mexico: > [@](#): > > "GOOOOAAALLLL!!! The US of A puts us in the playoffs! USA!!! > > It is because of the USA that we are being placed in the playoff …BECAUSE OF THEM , NOT DUE TO YOU…NOT ANY OF YOU in the green shirts …IT WAS THEM!!.NOT YOU!..THEY DID IT!!!NOT YOU! remember this forever… KEEP THIS CLEARLY IN MIND FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES! You do NOTHING for the shirt, you do NOT put the effort, you have NOTplaced us in the playoffs , you HAVE NOT placed us in the WORLD CUP …YOU WOULD NOT HAVE KEPT US ALIVE…IT WAS ESTADOS UNIDOS, NOT YOU.! .NOT YOU AND YOUR ARROGANCE/CONCEIT…NOT YOU AND YOUR INFAMY…NOT YOU AND YOUR MORONS/PUNKS… > … > "IT IS A FAILURE…and UNDESERVED -to go through to the playoff- WE HAD NO ARGUMENTS to earn the playoffs, THE USA, WITH SUBS , WITH MANY SUBS as the visiting team shows us once again what the USA is all about …how to play the game with dignity, how to approach the sport…MExico is a horror, just terrible…A FAILURE… > … > THE USA HAS SURPASSED US …They are better than Mexico in SOCCER …THEY EVEN HAVE THE LUXURY OF PLAYING THEIR SUBS and KEEPING US LIVE… I hope our coach wears the pants and resigns…He has failed as coach… ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/179 "2013-10-17T01:33:21Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Holy Crap! > > Panama 2 USA 1 and Costa Rica 2 Mexico 1 both in stoppage time. If the scores hold Panama is in Brazil and Mexico stays home for the first time since 1982. > > The USA scores twice, crushing Panama and their fans and sending their arch-rival Mexico to the World Cup (pending a playoff with New Zealand.) I’ve seen reports that there were some very strange noises in Los Angeles as the Mexican fans exploded until they realized they were cheering for the US. > > If I were the US, I’d send that bus straight to the airport. Panama City has a very high murder rate. That was insane. There was definitely a part of me that was happy with a U.S. loss. But it’s also pretty cool that we’re responsible for Mexico staying alive. You’re welcome Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/180 "2013-10-17T01:47:34Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Mexican TV coverage of the last minutes: > > [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/embed/oz1XhaBT45I) My God that’s hilarious. I never thought I’d hear a Mexican announcer screaming “We love you! We love you forever and ever! God bless America!” about a US team - in English yet. That’s a bigger miracle than the comeback itself. > [@Yookeroo](#): > > That was insane. There was definitely a part of me that was happy with a U.S. loss. But it’s also pretty cool that we’re responsible for Mexico staying alive. You’re welcome Mexico. Given how happy it would have made some of my friends, I wouldn’t have minded a Panama victory since it wouldn’t have affected the US much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036.md?page=10)