[What can Klinsmann expect when the U.S. travels to upset-minded Guatemala next Tuesday for game two? "When we get off the plane there will be riot gear and armed guards on our bus," said U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra. "We'll be flanked by probably two police buses with guys hanging out the windows with machine guns and things like that. It's definitely an interesting experience when you go to Central America for qualifying." [Faggy Wahl neutrality redacted]
Indeed, many of the challenges in CONCACAF qualifying have little to do with the skill of opposing teams. Late-night fire alarms, patchy and bumpy fields, long-seated anti-U.S. sentiments, projectiles from the stands: Road trips in the region are fraught with perils you'd rarely see in, say, European World Cup qualifying. Nor should we discount the improvement of CONCACAF teams like Panama, which could very well qualify for its first World Cup finals this time around.