More on U.S. final round World Cup qualifying

U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann doesn’t sound overly worried about a draw that didn’t fall favorably in very many ways. Then again, the preternaturally positive Klinsmann doesn’t sound like a man who has worried about anything since sometime around 1990.

(MORE: analysis of the final round draw)

Here’s what Klinsmann had to say last night from Miami, site of CONCACAF’s draw to determine next year’s final round schedule:

In a draw like that nothing is going to turn out perfect. Usually, a team would like to have the first game at home, but if you don’t have the first game at home you make the best out of it. We are looking forward to going to Honduras for the first game and then we’re going to take it one game at a time.”

The site selection process now begins. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati says there are 10-12 stadiums in play. “We met at length today and a lot of work has gone into figuring out what venues we’re going to play in,” Gulati said last night from Miami. “In a few cases, weather might prohibit you from playing at a particular site if you wanted to play a certain opponent, that’s really what we needed to wait for today.”

More quotes from Klinsmann and Gulati are here from U.S. Soccer.

It’s hard to determine exactly how much influence Klinsmann has over the venue choices. At some points I’ve been told the choices are almost exclusively his, although it sounds like he’s choosing more from a menu board put before him. Then again, I asked the manager that exact question in a recent media teleconference; Klinsmann indicated there were more voices involved.

U.S. Soccer created helpful capsules for all five U.S. opponents in the so-called “Hexagonal.” I reiterate my disregard for the term “Hexagonal.” Seriously, who says that? (beyond the soccer wonks, that is.)

You won’t get to be an expert from the capsules, but they are great starting points. Plenty there to drop at tonight’s happy hour or make yourself the smartest kid in the room at Saturday morning English soccer watching.

The entire schedule for all six CONCACAF survivors to this point is here.