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To be fair, it was a good performance from the Tri down in Port-of-Spain. They kept the ball with ease, passed it effectively, finished when they needed to. The best sign was the return to form of Jesús "El Cabrito" Arellano, who at 31 had been on the decline. He looked like the Little Goat of old: whirling, twisting, painting Picassos with the ball at his feet. (He also scored twice with his left foot, but that won't happen again this century.) No way to know whether he'll keep it up against tougher opposition, but even a short burst here and there will be helpful. As for Sinha, he did some neat playmaking, and is a good option if LaVolpe wants to risk assassination again.

But judging from the Copa America, and even the game against T&T, Mexico is still short of the summit. They can be weak in the air at the back (although when Rafael Márquez and Duilio Davino play, it's less of a problem), and they still seem to spend too much time enjoying possession, rather than pressing to score. Group C is no test, of course.

It's been more of a test for Trinidad & Tobago, and their marks are only average so far. They deserve real credit for bagging two late wins on the road, but could they have done it against Guatemala and Panama? They went down 1:3 at home to a half-strength Mexico; what will happen on the road against Honduras, or the USA?

But let's look at the good stuff first. Stern John is still a talented and committed striker, and Errol McFarlane has come out of the desert to show he can score. The most consistent performer so far has been defender Brent Sancho, who reads the game very well and is good in the air. Defensive midfielder Anthony Rougier missed the last two games to make club arrangements in China, but should bring energy and power to the squad. Defender Marvin Andrews had a howler against Mexico, but most of the time is strong and reliable. Andre Boucaud, a young midfielder, has lots of skill, and might be worth a look as a starter.

But the rest of the side has yet to prove themselves. St. Clair has been going with a 3-5-2, with Sancho, Andrews, and Dennis Lawrence at the back, but the wingbacks in this scheme are dicey. On the left, Marlon Rojas has attacking ability, but leaves way too many gaps when he goes forward. On the right, Kenwyne Jones is OK on defense, but doesn't seem to have the skill to be an effective attacker. Meanwhile, the midfield, with veterans like Angus Eve and Arnold Dwarika, drifts in and out of focus: at times aggressive and creative, at other times a bit lost. Kelvin Jack has been only average in goal, and regular starter Clayton Ince lacks match practice because he's been on the bench at Crewe.

It looks like Group C has been a mixed blessing for the Soca Warriors. A free ticket to the Hexagonal, yes, but not enough competition at mid-level. SKN and SVG are too easy, Mexico too hard. Even after the round is over, Bertille St. Clair won't be able to say for sure how his team lines up best. With the exception of Mexico, every other team in the Hexagonal will have been more sharply honed.

St. Kitts & Nevis, with zero points, are, sadly, close to elimination. (Judging by the way SVG handles things, they should give the coach a new three-year contract.) Even if SKN beat SVG and T&T in their next two games, they'll have only 6 points, and they'll have to hope T&T loses to SVG so they can slip through on goal difference, or else get a point against Mexico and hope T&T gets no better than a draw vs. SVG--when goal difference might still be necessary. By any standard the campaign has been a disappointment. The loss of the legionnaires was a blow, but before anyone had even heard of Willock, Burton, and Newton, the Sugar Boyz were posting good results against quality opposition. And they've come so close: they could easily have beaten SVG, and drawn with T&T. With 4 points they'd be very much alive. But even with 0, they're mathematically alive, and the way they've played suggests they'll put up a fight.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines…wait a minute. OK. Sorry, I was laughing uncontrollably. St. Vincent & the Grenadines, led by new coach Zoran Vranes, have at least a mathematical chance…wait again…just anoth…OK, I th--AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! AHAHAHAHA!!! Whew. OK. To have any chance, SVG will probably have to win at both St. Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago, and that's unlikely, but the way the schedule works, they could be alive up until the final day. Rodney Jack has dutifully flown in for every game, and there's no reason he won't continue to do so. The midfield is a problem, though; even against T&T, where the team as a whole played well, it was the weak point overall. Randy Pierre injected some life against SKN, and is likely to keep his spot. And we can only hope Fitzgerald Bramble gets out of Washington again and does some more honest work for a change.

Still,…aaaaaahahahaohnevermindnextupdateinOctoberahahahahaha…