A combination of home form, team selection and freakish results led to one of the most devastating nights in the history of American soccer
It would take something extraordinary for the U.S. national team to miss out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Going into the final game of CONCACAF fifth-round qualifying in what was supposed to be a relatively simple trip to Trinidad & Tobago, only a set of freak results would see the U.S. fail to make the finals of the competition for the first time since 1986, but that's exactly what happened.
Bruce Arena's side fell to a 2-1 defeat in Couva and finished fifth of six teams in one of the most devastating nights in the history of American soccer.