US faces Jamaica in soccer qualifier

COLUMBUS, Ohio – This isn’t a must-win match for the U.S. men’s national soccer team and its World Cup hopes. Not yet, anyway.

If it doesn’t beat Jamaica tonight at Crew Stadium, however, its road to making the next World Cup will be steep.

On the heels of a 2-1 loss in Jamaica on Friday night, the Americans have little wiggle room.

The top two teams in Group A move on to next year’s six-nation regional finals, with three of those teams then qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Jamaica (2-0-1) leads the group, followed by the U.S. and Guatemala, both 1-1-1.

“Pressure is always there in professional sports,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “Obviously, we wanted to get points in Jamaica, to be in a better kind of position than we are right now. We need tomorrow night, which is our goal and which we are focused on very strongly. It would put us in good position in that group.”

– Associated Press