Across State Lines: National Teams Take Center Stage

Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images It’s the international break for many teams around the world as teams play World Cup Qualifiers and other international games. A handful of former Sporting Kansas City players are participating with their national teams in games. Gianluca Busio is with the US national team but has not played a game yet during this window. Elsewhere in CONCACAF, Pablo Punyed appeared for El Salvador against Panama earlier this past week in qualifying. In African, Abdul Rwatubyaye and Rwanda played a pair of qualifiers, with Rwatubyaye appearing in one of the two. In Asia, two former players had games. In World Cup qualifying, Soony Saad and Lebanon got a draw against Iraq and a win over Syria, with Saad scoring the winning goal in the3-2 win. Elsewhere in Asia, Sunil Chhetri and India, who are eliminated from World Cup qualifying, are participating in the South Asia Football Federation Championship this week. Chhetri and India are trying to make their eighth straight final in the tournament but need a win against the host country Maldives in a game today to make the final after amassing a 1-2-0 (W-D-L) record through the first four games of the tournament. Chhetri has scored both of India’s goals in the tournament so far.

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