Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler earned his 29th cap for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Tuesday in a 0-0 draw against Trinidad & Tobago in CONCACAF’s World Cup qualifying semifinal round. With the draw, the U.S MNT remain tied for first place in Group C with four points through two games.
Besler’s start was his second consecutive in a World Cup qualifier and his eighth start in a qualifier start since 2013. The U.S. MNT is 5-1-2 in World Cup qualifiers featuring the Sporting KC captain with a +9 goal differential.
Tuesday’s match was a defensive-minded affair with a combined five shots on targer between the two sides. Trinidad goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams made two saves on the evening including a spectacular diving save on a Jermaine Jones long-range strike in the 78th minute.
U.S. MNT Manager Jurgen Klinsmann started Tim Howard in goal for the second time in 2015. The Everton goalkeeper had a relatively quiet evening with three saves on Trinidad’s 10 shot attempts.
The United States and Trinidad are now tied atop Group C with four points a piece, but Klinsmann’s side has the edge with a +5 goal differential through two matches. Guatemala defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4-0 earlier on Tuesday to move into third place in the group with three points. St. Vincent are winless through two games with a -9 goal differential.
The U.S. MNT’s Road to Russia resumes in March with a pair of matches against Guatemala. First up is a road match against La Bicolor on March 25 followed by a home match on March 29 at a venue to be determined.
The top two teams from each group in CONCACAF’s semifinal round will advance to the final round of World Cup qualifying. From there, the top three teams will automatically qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, while the fourth-place team will play a two-game playoff against the champion of the Asian Football Confederation.
