The “Hex” round of World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF is upon us, the final set of matches between the last six teams left standing after four rounds of qualifying. Over the next year each team will play each other twice, and the three top teams will head to Russia in 2018 for the World Cup, with the fourth-placed side set for a playoff match against a similarly placed team in another confederation. With all that on the line, there’s a lot at stake as the United States get set to host Mexico in Columbus, Ohio.
USA vs. Mexico 2016: Time, live TV schedule, and 3 things to know for World Cup qualifier
The biggest rivalry in North America is renewed with World Cup qualification standing on the line as the Hex begins in CONCACAF.
Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
The site of many huge U.S. wins, the USMNT will be hoping that the magic of Columbus will be working in their favor, and that it might have another “Dos a Cero” match in store for them. It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere and a hard-fought match, one that any fan of either team, or anyone even thinking about becoming a fan, should absolutely watch. This is an incredibly important game for both teams, and not just for the hotly charged rivalry involved.
TV: FS1 (U.S. - English), Univision, Univision Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), UnivisionTDN, Canal 5, TDN, Azteca 7 (Mexico)
Online: Fox Soccer 2GO, Fox Sports Go (U.S. -- English), Univision Deportes en vivo, Fubo, Sling (U.S. -- Spanish), Fox Play Latin America (Mexico)
Match Date/Time: Friday, 7:45 p.m. ET
Venue: MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Three big things to know
- It would perhaps be understandable if the U.S. players got a little distracted around this game. Between many players either still being in the MLS Cup Playoffs or just having only recently been eliminated, and the recent shocking outcome in the presidential election, there’s certainly plenty to be distracted about in the U.S. right now. However, they cannot afford to be anything but completely focused on the match at hand. Mexico are the USMNT’s biggest national team rival for a reason, and that’s because they’re very, very good. The USMNT can’t afford to slip up at all in this match, so it’s time to buckle down and put everything else aside for awhile.
- The Mexico national team has plenty to play for as well, especially considering where the match is taking place. They typically haven’t fared well in Columbus, which has played host to many big matches between these two teams over the years, and they would love to get that weight off their backs. A win here would give them tremendous momentum heading into the rest of the Hex, and Mexico would love to have that behind them.
- The U.S. could also use that sort of momentum, and if anything they might need it more. The USMNT’s form has been highly volatile over the past couple of years, and they need to build and maintain positive momentum heading into this final, crucial stage of World Cup qualifying. A win over Mexico to start the Hex would be the perfect way to get that momentum going, and they need to do whatever it takes to get that win.
