While CONCACAF certainly isn’t the toughest region in the world, the qualifying process comes with its share of unique quirks, the rain-soaked field at Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Boldon Stadium the latest example.
Perhaps that’s why Bruce Arena made a few waves when he told reporters ahead of tonight’s do-or-die game vs. Trinidad and Tobago (8 pm ET, beIN SPORTS, NBC Universo) that he “would love to see one of these hotshot teams from Europe come here and play in our CONCACAF qualifying and really get a taste of this and see what that's about.
“This is very challenging, it's like survival of the fittest,” the US national team coach added. “They could do one of those TV shows on this. Who will survive in the end? That's basically what this is."
Eurosnobs will almost certainly have a field day with this comment, but it doesn't sound like Arena was trying to compare the talent level between CONCACAF and the top teams in Europe.
Instead, he was pointing to some of the crazy weather, field and stadium conditions the USMNT have to deal with during their unglamorous World Cup qualifying road tour — one, they hope, will end in triumph tonight.
