Once World Cup Outsiders, Soccer-Scarce Nations Are Crashing the Party

Once World Cup outsiders, soccer-scarce nations are crashing the party

One hundred minutes into a scoreless match Tuesday, Jamaican defenders watched the flight of a corner kick as it curled toward their goal. And for a brief, costly, moment everyone forgot about Axel Tuanzebe. Tuanzebe, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, had called this match the biggest of his career. Only the winner of the FIFA World Cup qualifier in Guadalajara, Mexico, would advance to play this summer in the 48-team field comprising the mos…

Heartbreak in Guadalajara: Andre Blake’s World Cup dreams dashed in extra time defeat

For Philadelphia Union fans, the sight of Andre Blake standing tall in goal is a symbol of security. For the Jamaican National Team, he is the undisputed leader and the anchor of their “do-or-die” ambitions. On Tuesday at Estadio Akron, that security was breached in the cruelest of fashions. In a high-stakes playoff to determine […] The post Heartbreak in Guadalajara: Andre Blake’s World Cup dreams dashed in extra time defeat first appeared on P…