A picture of Costa Rica’s World Cup qualifier

Peter Oh says this game is a perfect brunch menu. I don't have a horse in this race but I like Belgian waffles and maple syrup. Hot coffee is brewing in Northern California and the sun is out on a crisp, cold morning. CONCACAF always seems to have a team at the World Cup Finals who are happy to have qualified El Salvador 1982, Jamaica 1998, Honduras every time, Trinidad and Tobago - 2002, Panama 2018, etc. I am really hoping that Costa Rica will be that team for 2022, having finished fourth in the regional qualifications and defeating New Zealand on a single goal in the Confederation Play-ins. Really, really, really hoping it is not the US or Canada. One for the stats files: Atiba Hutchinson is rather old.

The Canadian anthem was received with much enthusiasm. There are a lot of Canadian fans there. The players, along with Herdman, sang loudly. They gave it a try, and they were not on the key by any stretch of imagination.