The U.S. men's national team is hitting the home stretch of World Cup qualifying, with the road to Qatar going through Columbus, Ohio, yet again in Thursday's Concacaf Octagonal bout vs. El Salvador.
Columbus has long been a spiritual home for the U.S. men, and its Lower.com Field served as the site of an October triumph over Costa Rica. Now, under frigid conditions, it'll be the locale for the U.S.'s return match vs. La Selecta, which held the Americans to a 0—0 draw to open qualifying on Sept. 2.
Since then, El Salvador has mustered just five points in the subsequent seven matches, while the U.