Despite playing in every World Cup since 1990, the United States are in danger in missing out on automatic qualification for Russia 2018.
After losing 2-0 at home to Costa Rica last weekend, the team travel to Honduras tonight in a must-win match. If the US lose, they could easily fall to fifth place, with only the first three teams guaranteed their spots in Russia next summer.
Speaking to the media ahead of Tuesday night's game in San Pedro Sula, US manager Bruce Arena placed the blame on United States president Donald Trump for their troubles. The former LA Galaxy boss feels that Trump's immigration policies are giving teams added motivation against his side.
Our immigration policies are impacting people in Central America, right? And there’s probably a little bit of anger over that. Then your national sport gets a chance to play the US. I’m sure that becomes very meaningful.
Arena went as far as saying the he and his team are against Trump's immigration policies, but would not say what way he politically leans.
Everyone is pretty supportive of free speech and not being restrictive of people coming to this country. We’d be almost unanimous on that. But I’m not around these guys all the time and listening to them talk politics.
I don’t think politics influences our national team program at all. I think we had a little bit of a discussion when we went to Mexico with the timing and all of that. But I don’t think it impacts anybody.
Arena led the side to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup and returned to manage the side late last year. With three games left in the qualification group, his side will face two Latin American sides in Honduras and Panama.
After the colour brought by their fans in Brazil three years ago, it's difficult to imagine a World Cup without the United States.
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