Since 1998, qualifying for the World Cup has been relatively straightforward for the United States. Sure, there has been the occasional bad result and matches have typically been tense but, as the U.S. approached the end of the final round "Hex," there was usually a fair amount of breathing room.
That hasn't been the case in the current cycle, though. After going unbeaten at home for three cycles in a row, starting in 2006 World Cup qualifying, the U.S. has dropped two matches on home soil. The road hasn't been much kinder, with just three points collected.