Dangerously-cold conditions are expected for tonight’s World Cup qualifying match between the US men's national team and Honduras at Minnesota United FC's Allianz Field (7:30 pm ET | FS1, Univision, TUDN), according to the National Weather Service.
At kickoff in St. Paul, the temperature is expected to reach 3 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill that could drop the feels-like temperature into the negative teens.
The location for this Concacaf Octagonal match, scheduled for Matchday 11 of 14, was originally announced in November. It was a purposeful decision by U.S. Soccer in pursuit of a competitive edge, knowing Honduras would be coming from Central America and unaccustomed to the frigid conditions. It was also designed to reduce travel for the USMNT amid a three-game window.
Though questions regarding player and fan safety have arisen, with frostbite among the main concerns.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter has contended that the Allianz Field pitch will be playable, and the USMNT are taking cold-weather precautions.
The cold-weather controversy arrives after the USMNT loss last Sunday's World Cup qualifier at Canada, 2-0, missing the chance to leapfrog Les Rouges into first place in the Octagonal standings. Their previous two matches during this winter window, a 1-0 home win over El Salvador and defeat at Canada, have similarly unfolded as the thermometer drops below freezing – though the Honduras match is expected to reach another level.
As Berhalter and U.S. Soccer seek an advantage over Honduras, Los Catrachos arrive from a 2-0 loss to El Salvador in San Pedro Sula. They’re also the first Concacaf Octagonal team to be eliminated from Qatar 2022 contention, winless through 10 matchdays and losing six straight WCQs (0W-7L-3D record).
The USMNT sit second in the Octagonal standings, and a home victory would prove decisive in strengthening their bid for one of Concacaf's three automatic Qatar 2022 berths. The fourth-place team heads to an inter-confederation playoff.
But the conditions, which will be far from optimal, are the same for both teams. And that's the other side of the argument, that the weather will be a great equalizer in a game that carries massive implications for the USMNT.
Bundled-up fans in attendance will find hand warmers at their seats upon arrival, courtesy of Minnesota United FC. So at least there's that.
