We all know the pitfalls of playing CONCACAF away matches in World Cup Qualifying.
Whether it’s rowdy fans launching fireworks outside the team hotel in the dead of night or playing big matches on bumpy pitches in the blazing afternoon heat and humidity, this confederation is always throwing obstacles in the path of success for road teams.
We can now add underwater training pitches to the list of items on the “only in CONCACAF” list after watching this video U.S. Soccer’s Instagram feed.
Yes, that’s a most protecting the pitch at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. The water was caused by recent heavy rainfall and it remains to be seen how well the field drains in time for Tuesday’s qualifier.
The #USMNT surveys the conditions, with players wary of walking across the moat. "Is it deep?" joked one player. pic.twitter.com/kq6KjEEJoi
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) October 9, 2017
This isn’t the normal venue for T&T home matches. Electrical issues at Hasley Crawford Stadium in the capital of Port-of-Spain forced the match to move to this smaller shared athletics-soccer facility.
The USMNT comes into Tuesday’s match with a chance to seal a spot at the World Cup.