NEW YORK CITY -- When the United States men's national team takes on Costa Rica at Red Bull Arena on Friday night, the squad needs the three points that come with a victory. Earning them would give the Americans a 96 percent chance to reach the World Cup next summer, according to ESPN's SPI. In other words, Bruce Arena and his boys could start brushing up on their Russian phraseology with a win.
If the U.S. loses, however, their chances drop to just 80 percent with three matches to go. While the red, white, and blue would still be favored to reach the quadrennial tournament, they would have little, if any, room for error.