US Soccer Seeks Vital World Cup Qualifying Win In St. Paul

ST. PAUL — Days after a disappointing loss to Canada, the U.S. men’s national soccer team must regroup and secure a much-needed World Cup qualifying win Wednesday in the brutal cold of St. Paul.

The U.S. will close out its winter World Cup qualifying window against Honduras at 6:30 p.m. CST Wednesday at Allianz Field in St. Paul. Temperatures are forecast to be in the single digits when the team kicks off against its Central American opponents.

The U.S. is well-placed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite a 2-0 loss to Canada on Sunday. The team sits second in its qualifying group, behind Canada and level with Mexico, with 18 points from 10 games. The U.S. has won five games, drawn three and lost twice.

The top three nations from the group will qualify for the 2022 World Cup, which starts in November, while fourth place must win a playoff to book its spot at the tournament.

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Panama currently holds fourth place, with 17 points from 10 games, while Costa Rica is in fifth, with 13 points.

The U.S. would guarantee itself at least a spot in the World Cup qualifying playoff with eight points from its final four games. But a loss to Honduras could put the U.S. in a battle to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The U.S. men’s soccer team qualified for seven consecutive World Cup tournaments from 1990-2014 but failed to earn a spot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

U.S. Soccer is partnering with Minnesota United FC to host a “boot drive” from 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Allianz Field, with fans encouraged to donate new and gently used soccer cleats and winter boots to benefit The Sanneh Foundation.

Allianz Field in St. Paul is allowing fans to bring blankets, hand warmers, seat cushions and battery-operated heating with “extremely cold temperatures” throughout the game, according to the U.S. Soccer website.

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It is expected to be about 5 degrees for the start of the game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, with temperatures to drop to 1 degree by 9 p.m., AccuWeather forecasts show. The “RealFeel” is supposed to be about 5 degrees below zero at kickoff.

Fans are strongly encouraged to wear masks at the open-air stadium and must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test within 72 hours of the game.

Booster shots are not required to enter. Results from at-home tests will not be accepted under the mandate imposed by St. Paul, according to stadium officials.