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One other thing that strikes me is that historically the USMNT has got an elevated sense of where it really is by getting good results ahead of big tournaments in friendlies, and while there's not a ton of value in travelling to Belize to win 7-0 there is something to be said about a grueling competitive qualification schedule to build team spirit and lead into the actual tournament. I do think there's a danger that by fast tracking the US and Mexico into the hex you are missing out on some competitive games and the chance to build a squad greater than the sum of it's parts over a full qualifying process.
It's worth noting that Europe and South America don't do any separating of the wheat from the chaff - admittedly there aren't any shitty teams in South America but you don't generally see European teams complaining about having to play in Azerbaijan on a Tuesday night.
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