US bank on frigid cold to freeze out their rivals

LOS ANGELES • United States coach Gregg Berhalter believes freezing temperatures can help his team take a giant stride towards a World Cup berth when the qualifying race resumes today.

A pandemic-congested fixture schedule means that for the first time in history, teams battling for three automatic berths from North America, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), will be playing qualifiers in January.

That has handed the US a potential climatic advantage that Berhalter is eager for his team to exploit.

The US, who are second in the standings with 15 points from eight games - one behind leaders Canada - open the triple-header with a home game against El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, today.

They then travel to Ontario to face Canada on Sunday, before returning to Minnesota next Wednesday to take on Honduras.

Temperatures at kick-off for the two home games against El Salvador and Honduras are forecast to be around minus 2 deg C, a factor that Berhalter believes could work in favour of the US.

"All the times we go down to Central America and we're playing in the humidity and the heat and sometimes the smog and sometimes at altitude," he said.

"This is an opportunity for us to gain an advantage... They're all coming from the Equator and it's going to be really difficult for them to deal with these conditions...

"Our guys, who've been playing in Europe, in cooler temperatures, will be ready to go. We see it as a big window for us."

Frigid weather conditions have worked to the Americans' advantage before in World Cup qualifying.

In 2013, the US defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in Denver in a blizzard in an infamous game dubbed the "Snow Clasico".

In 2001, the US beat Mexico in Columbus in another game played in sub-zero conditions.

Berhalter said he expects his players to embrace the icy blast expected to greet both teams today.

"It's a mindset. It really is," the 48-year-old said.

Maximum points from the two home games would push the US to the brink of qualification, with three more qualifying games to come in the March window.

American hopes of picking up points in Sunday's away game against Canada have also been boosted by news that the Canadians will be missing Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, 21.

Davies is recovering after being diagnosed with mild myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart, following a positive Covid-19 case.

However, Canada coach John Herdman backed his squad to overcome Davies' absence, saying: "I don't think there's going to be any excuses from us. I think we've shown we're strong, we're resilient."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE