⚽ What Canada’s Win Means For USMNT’s World Cup Hopes

Canada’s surge means there is scarcely any room for error for the United States Men’s National Team. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Following a 2-1 win over Mexico, Canada is now the only undefeated team after eight of the 14 qualifying matches for next year’s World Cup ... we take a look at why the Golden State Warriors look like legit title contenders ... and Kansas fullback Jared Casey went from a little-known walk-on to an overnight star. Whoa, Canada. Suddenly, unexpectedly, and mightily impressively, our neighbors from north of the border have assembled an excellent men’s soccer team, one that toppled Mexico 2-1 on Tuesday night and now sit on top of the CONCACAF regional qualifying group for next year’s World Cup. As well as being perennially excellent at the game of hockey, making outstanding poutine and producing extremely friendly citizens, Canada has also been historically mediocre on the men’s soccer front. Not anymore. After the U.S. could only draw 1-1 in Jamaica, Canada’s win showed both grit and determination and left it as the only undefeated team after eight of the 14 qualifying matches. [STORY IMAGE 1] Long-term, this fresh development could be a really good thing for the United States, setting up a bona fide next-door rivalry to go along with the established and always spicy entanglement with Mexico. Right now, it has created a problem. With three of the eight teams in the region’s octagonal final round due to qualify directly for the World Cup in Qatar next year and a fourth bound for a playoff place, it would be wrong to suggest the U.S. is in a bad position. “For the guys to have their heads down because they wanted more is completely natural,” U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter told reporters after the Jamaica result. “What we’ll do is we’ll evaluate. The message to the guys is that we wanted to end in first or second position after this window (of games). We have two windows left and that’s where we want to seal qualification.” [STORY IMAGE 2] However, Canada’s surge means there is scarcely any room for error and the potential for more edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting concern, just like four years ago. Which, you’ll remember, somehow ended with the worst outcome of all – failing to reach the 2018 tournament in Russia. Currently, Canada leads the way with 16 points, the U.S. has 15, with Mexico and Panama just behind with 14. With fifth-placed Costa Rica languishing on nine points with six games to go, it is easy to see how, without Canada thrusting itself into the mix, the Americans would probably already be booking their flights to Qatar. Slipping into a playoff against a team from another confederation could be a cakewalk, a nightmare, or something in between for whoever places fourth in CONCACAF. New Zealand (ranked 111th in FIFA’s standings), would likely be the easiest potential opponent, while South America’s playoff participant shapes up as being a world-class team such as Uruguay, Chile or Colombia. Asia’s qualifying system could send Japan or Australia playoff-bound, neither of which would be an easy out. The CONCACAF schedule looks rather straightforward - eight games gone, six to go - but not all matchups are created equal in this region and Berhalter’s U.S. group has some of its toughest fixtures still on the docket, as well as some of its easiest. [STORY IMAGE 3] Dates at home against struggling El Salvador and Honduras confer hope that the U.S. will compile a solid collection of points. However, what now appear to be the three most daunting road trips remain on the slate, starting with a Jan. 30 hop to Canada at a venue to be decided, then two of the final three games being visits to Mexico and Costa Rica. Man for man, the U.S. is undoubtedly among the best three teams in the region. The U.S. should be good enough to qualify. Those two things are fact. They are also exactly what was said four years ago, before everything fell apart culminating amid a final day debacle in Trinidad and Tobago that left the American soccer community stunned and a young Christian Pulisic in tears on the field. Canada’s momentum, which has ignited that country behind John Herdman’s squad, won’t do anything to ease the U.S. nerves. The Canadians fought with everything they had on Tuesday, setting up a two-goal lead and then clinging on nervously as Mexico mounted a (very) late revival. There was pushing and shoving and plenty of hostility both in the closing minutes and after the final whistle, but it ended with an overwhelming scene of joy, highlighted by Canada’s Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies running the full length of the field with a maple flag hoisted aloft. [STORY IMAGE 4] “We’ve been scrapping every game we find every opportunity we can just to let people know this is life or death for us,” Herdman told reporters. “It is a 14-game war. We are looking for those opportunities to get a 1% advantage on these opponents.” The freezing conditions and a pressed turf field in Edmonton offered sizably more than 1% benefit and when the U.S. comes north on Jan. 30, Canada will again try to optimize the home edge. Expect somewhere mightily cold, although Edmonton might be so buried in snow, it will be unplayable by that time of year. Regardless, Canada will try to put the game, as it is allowed to, in a spot where home advantage will be at its highest. Canada has made it to only one World Cup, in 1986, and hasn’t been remotely close since, failing to even make the CONCACAF final qualifying stage since 1998. But this is a new time, with a new rivalry brewing, and for now, a new headache for the U.S. to deal with on the road to Qatar. [STORY IMAGE 5] [IN OTHER WORDS] - With both shooting prowess and stout defense, the Golden State Warriors look like title contenders once more. [FOX Sports NBA Writer Yaron Weitzman explains why](. - [FOX Sports College Football Writer RJ Young picks up the pen of the CFP committee to write a love letter to the Ohio State Buckeyes]( no matter their record. - Chris Paul has nothing left to prove in the NBA. But he thinks he does and that’s what fuels him. [FOX Sports NBA Writer Melissa Rohlin has the story](. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Redshirt freshman Jared Casey was not what you’d call a “household name” before Saturday’s Kansas-Texas college football game. However, after Casey caught the game-winning pass on a two-point conversation attempt in overtime to seal the Jayhawks’ 57-56 upset win over Texas, he instantly became a KU football legend. So, what’s next for Casey after his memorable game-winning play? Well, how about staring in an Applebee’s commercial! Check out this tweet, which shows Casey shooting a local TV commercial for Applebee’s. This is a great example of how any college athlete can take advantage of the new name, image and likeness rules that have been put in place. Well done, Jared! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Michigan State at Butler (FS1, 7 p.m. ET) Max Christie and the Michigan State Spartans go up against Jair Bolden and the Butler Bulldogs. Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. St. John’s at Indiana (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) Julian Champagnie and the St. John’s Red Storm battle Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Indiana Hoosiers. Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET) Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks go up against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs: Cowboys +2.5 From FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd: I like the under, and I like Dallas. I think the Cowboys' defense is going to pressure Patrick Mahomes into, if not mistakes, a subpar afternoon. Dallas creates pressure. They bring a lot of heat. Even without Randy Gregory (calf strain) or Demarcus Lawrence (foot surgery), they still bring heat. I think the Cowboys have a better roster. They're a little healthier now. Dallas is the play here. The Cowboys have been undervalued all season. The Chiefs, coming off the win, will be overvalued. I like the Cowboys, even on the road, to win by a touchdown. 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