According to the draw held by CONCACAF on Friday, if the US win their group in the current round of World Cup qualifying, they would face rivals Mexico at home in the first game of the Hexagonal, CONCACAF’s final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The US presently are second in Group C, with seven points from four games in the current semifinal round. They currently sit three points behind leaders Trinidad & Tobago, but should they win out in their last two games at St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Sept. 2) and vs. Trinidad & Tobago (Sept. 6), they would stand a very good chance of finishing top of the group (see semifinal round schedule).
If they finish first in Group C, they would open play in the Hexagonal by hosting Mexico, who are 4-0-0 in the current round and have already clinched first place in Group A. Next, they would travel to play the winner of Group B away in the second match. Costa Rica, with 10 points, currently lead Panama in Group B by three points.
Should the US finish second in Group C, they would play the winner of Group B in the first game, then play the second-place team in Group A in their second game. Canada and Honduras are tied for second in Group A with four points from four games, though Honduras have the advantage on goal difference, and fourth-place El Salvador are still within striking distance, with two points.
The top two teams in each of the three groups in the semifinal round qualify for the Hexagonal. There, each team will play 10 games – a home and away match against every other team – and the top three teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the fourth-place team will play the fifth-place team in Asian qualifying for another spot.
The calendar of the final qualifying round will be the following:
Match day 1
C1 vs. A1
A2 vs. B2
C2 vs. B1
Match day 2
B1 vs. C1
B2 vs. A1
A2 vs. C2
Match day 3
C1 vs. A2
C2 vs. B2
A1 vs. B1
Match day 4
B2 vs. C1
A2 vs. B1
C2 vs. A1
Match day 5
C1 vs. C2
B1 vs. B2
A1 vs. A2
Match day 6
A1 vs. C1
B2 vs. A2
B1 vs. C2
Match day 7
C1 vs. B1
A1 vs. B2
C2 vs. A2
Match day 8
A2 vs. C1
B2 vs. C2
B1 vs. A1
Match day 9
C1 vs. B2
B1 vs. A2
A1 vs. C2
Match day 10 (simultaneous kick- off)
C2 vs. C1
B2 vs. B1
A2 vs. A1
