Still Plenty on the Line Wednesday

Fans of the USMNT will be glad that Wednesday's game against 3rd place Costa Rica will not decide the US' qualification fate. With that taken care of in San Pedro Sula, Wednesday's games will only determine if the US finishes atop the Hex standings or not. Though the game doesn't mean much for the US, however, it has huge implications for Costa Rica, who have yet to secure their place in South Africa.

With the US and Mexico already assured of spots in the World Cup (and El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago eliminated), the final automatic berth will go to either Honduras or Costa Rica. The Ticos currently have 15 points and a goal differential of 0. Honduras, meanwhile, have 13 points and a goal differential of +5.

Honduras will be traveling to El Salvador for their final Hex match, needing a win to keep their hopes of automatic qualification alive. Points in El Salvador have been hard to come by, with no team winning a road match at Estadio Cuscatlan thus far. This match will finish just as the Costa Rica match is about to begin, so the Ticos will know what they need to do to secure a spot in South Africa. Anything less than a Honduras win, and Costa Rica will be able to breath a sigh of relief knowing that their place in the World Cup is secured.

If Honduras wins, then Costa Rica will need to do the same to stay ahead of Los Catratchos in the standings. A tie for Costa Rica would put the two sides equal on points (16 each), but Honduras' superior goal differential would prove to be the deciding factor. So a win against the US would assure Costa Rica of a spot in their third consecutive World Cup. This would mean, though, winning in the US, which no other team has done so far in qualification (not to mention the fact that Costa Rica haven't won in the US in 24 years). Bob Bradley will likely give some of his starters a rest for this match, but with guys like Jozy Altidore, Benny Feilhaber, and Jose Francisco Torres likely being inserted into the starting lineup, the US will still be fielding a solid squad.

So even though the US doesn't have a lot on the line, Wednesday night's match against Costa Rica could end up deciding the third CONCACAF team that earns their spot in South Africa. Even though their World Cup dreams were dealt a serious blow by the Yanks, Honduras will be pulling for Bob Bradley and company in hope that they can slide ahead of Costa Rica on the final matchday of CONCACAF qualification.