🌎 USMNT, Mexico heading to Qatar, Canada fail to clinch Pot 3 place | OneFootball

There was little in the way of drama on the last day of Concacaf World Cup qualifying as, even though Canada was the only side to have fully book their trip to Qatar, the United States and Mexico had already packed their bags.

In order for Costa Rica to have clinched, they needed to either beat the United States by at least six goals or win and see Mexico lose to El Salvador while making up a four-goal goal difference. None of those things happened.

The United States and Mexico are now officially going to Qatar for the World Cup finals following a 2-0 Costa Rica win. Mexico would win their duel with El Salvador, also by a 2-0 scoreline, to finish in 2nd place in the Concacaf Octagonal.

With many important Costa Rican players at risk of yellow-card suspensions for their inevitable inter-continental play-off clash with New Zealand, who defeated Solomon Islands 5-0 earlier in the day to clinch their place, manager Luis Fernando Suárez rested many of his regular starters.

Elsewhere, in Panama, Canada missed out on an all-important win that would have put them above Tunisia in the Fifa rankings and earned them a place in Pot 3 for the upcoming World Cup draw.

Gabriel Torres provided a fantastic volley for Panama on his 100th career cap.

Canada will now start in Pot 4 and miss out on a mathematically better chance to have Qatar as their Pot 1 team and to theoretically face easier opponents.

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