If CONCACAF's proposed changes to World Cup qualifying go through, and we know the reports are legitimate now with Sunil Gulati commenting on them during the "four more years" presser today, it's very possible that the United States and Mexico will not face each other on the road to Brazil '14.  With two groups in the final round, the chances of the region's two biggest powers being split up is very likely, if not inevitable.


From a purely selfish American standpoint, this is a disaster.  No Mexico?  No Columbus (or wherever) in February, no trip to the Azteca?  No mind games, no heat, no hatred, no rivalry?  What will qualifying be without the Americans and the Mexican trading jabs and blood while ultimately failing to win on the other's soil?


Ultimately, the new structure will benefit the region as a whole, both by giving smaller nations more games in which to improve and a very real chance to qualify should they knock off one of the big boys.  What's good for the goose is good for the gander; while it's nice to be a whale in CONCACAF, the US and Mexico need to be pushed from within if they're ever to gain that status elsewhere.


In the short term, I will, loudly, moan about the loss of USA-Mexico should it come to pass.  I love that game.   I even love the ones at the Azteca, where the Americans never win; part of rooting for the team was always believing that the next trip to Mexico City would be the one that saw the Americans come out on top. Now there's a very real chance that there won't be another opportunity to take down the Azteca.  That's a very, very sad thing.


I suppose we'll have to make due with beating Mexico in the Gold Cup or friendlies.  It certainly won't be the same, and since those games will almost certainly take place on American soil (until CONCACAF moves it out of the US, it's hard to believe it will be played anywhere else), they'll have a fraction of the meaning.