The US men’s national team survived the “grind” of Concacaf qualifying. Their reward? A seven-month “sprint” towards the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this fall.
That’s how centerpiece defender Walker Zimmerman described the road ahead in the wake of Wednesday’s Octagonal finale vs. Costa Rica.
“The easy part’s over,” said the Nashville SC center back in a breezeway at Estadio Nacional. “And now we focus on this draw [Friday] and focus on our opponents in the World Cup, and ultimately just focus on staying fit, staying healthy for our clubs and trying to make a difference.
“From here on out it’s a sprint to the World Cup. But it’s worth pausing and reflecting on all the sacrifices, all of our work, all the team camaraderie, and be proud, of yourself, of your work ethic. Reflect on that, embrace it, because again,” he added, “we’ll get that draw … we’ll be focused on our opponents, we’ll be focused on the friendlies and Nations League in June, friendlies in September, and then we’re there.”
