The United States men’s national team is not going to the 2018 World Cup after a disastrous 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago, and understandably, the American soccer community is furious. None more so than former USMNT player and current ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman, who went nuclear on SportsCenter after the game.
Taylor Twellman’s USMNT rant on ‘SportsCenter’ is perfect
We’re all thinking the same thing.
USMNT coaches and media alike have regularly apologized for the team’s poor results away from home in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying because of poor field conditions. But as Twellman notes, the European teams that American fans see as a measuring stick have to deal with tough conditions too: “Belgium played Bosnia on a cow pasture,” Twellman says, “but we can’t beat Trinidad with water on the field?”
The conditions at Ato Boldon Stadium were not ideal. But the USMNT was up against a group of players that scouts from MLS and Liga MX have deemed not good enough to play in North America’s top leagues. The Americans have much better players than T&T and only needed a draw to qualify. There are no excuses. Twellman is right.
