The US national team are playing a key World Cup qualifier against Panama in Seattle tonight, you probably knew that.
But elsewhere in CONCACAF qualifying, two huge games kick off prior to the USMNT this evening.
With the standings so tight and all three automatic World Cup spots wide open, these next round of games will prove pivotal in deciding who takes charge of the Hex.
In the Azteca at 8pm ET Mexico host Costa Rica, with Los Ticos aiming for a huge upset to rival the 2001 win in Mexico City. El Tri are struggling along. They’re joint top of the Hex but have played one more game than the US and Costa Rica, and Jose Manuel de la Torre could be out of a job soon if he doesn’t couple results with impressive displays. With the Confederations Cup coming up next week, the Mexicans have to get their act together, quickly.
Mexico have conceded just twice in their five World Cup qualifiers so far, but scoring has been their main problem. With just three goals to their name and after three shutouts, El Tri must up the offense against Costa Rica in the Azteca this evening.
While in Honduras at 9pm ET, the home side will be desperate to record a win against bottom side Jamaica. A demoralizing 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica on Friday has seen Honduras drop back in the standings, meaning three points against the Reggae Boyz is vital ahead of tough road trips to the US and Mexico.
Lineup changes are planned as Honduras aim to mix things up, will that do the trick tonight against Jamaica? A draw would be a good result for the USMNT, or maybe even a Jamaica win.
(More: Confident United States expecting victory against Panama)
But with just five points separating top from bottom, a win for Jamaica would complicate things further.
I pose you this question, is there a more competitive World Cup qualifying region on the planet? I doubt it.
There’s no room for error and with the margins between winning and losing in CONCACAF so slim, teams are extremely reluctant to go gun-ho for the win. Hence the incredible amount of draws so far.
But by the end of this evening we should have a better idea who will qualify from CONCACAF for World Cup 2014...then again, probably not.