As you know, the United States defeated Honduras 3-0 in the 11th round of the North and Central American World Cup qualifiers. The US team had not played in such cold conditions as Wednesday night in Minnesota for 20 years – the Hondurans had to be substituted due to the harsh conditions.
| The Honduran goalkeeper had to be replaced due to the cold (Image: Getty Images) |
The players, and even the referee, had to put warm equipment on their heads because of the cold. Seats were heated, 20,000 free hand warmers and hot food and drinks were served to fans in the stands.
They tried in vain to do their best to make sure everyone was in good shape both on and off the field, the cold 17 degrees Celsius was too little for the Honduran players: goalkeeper Luis Lopez had to be substituted in the first half and he needed treatment. Also, Rommel Quito’s match ended earlier due to the bitter cold.
Of course, the visiting captain was not reconciled with having to play the match, as the conditions were clearly not right for professional football.
With three rounds remaining, Jamaica and Honduras will almost certainly not be present at the World Cup in Qatar, and at best, Salvador could finish fourth in the intercontinental qualifiers. Canada cannot take fourth place in the ranking.
Qualified restrooms in North and Central America
Third stage, round 11
USA – Honduras 3-0 (McKinney 8, Zimmermann 37, Pulisic 67)
| 1. Canada | 11 | 7 | 4 | – | 19-5 | +14 | 25 |
| 2. United States | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 to 7 | +9 | 21 |
| 3. Mexico | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14-8 | +6 | 21 |
| 4. Panama | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14-13 | +1 | 17 |
| 5- Costa Rica | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8-7 | +1 | 16 |
| 6- El Salvador | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 6-13 | -7 | 9 |
| 7- Jamaica | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9-16 | -7 | 7 |
| 8. Honduras | 11 | – | 3 | 8 | 5-22 | -17 | 3 |
