The final qualifying matches last night were followed by an Awards Ceremony which I was able to watch live on the San Juan TV streaming channel. Nicolai was awarded the “Jugador Mas Valioso” (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament scoring a total of 3 goals and 2 assists. His lifetime international goal tally now stands at 29. Although I was not there in person, I did photograph his acceptance off the TV screen in my room. As far as the team standings go, it remains unclear if the USA finished 2nd or 3rd. We were initially awarded the 2nd place trophy but later in the ceremony asked to exchange it for Mexico’s 3rd place trophy. Since Haiti, the USA, and Mexico all finished the tournament with 7 points, the finishing order is determined by the tie break criteria. Apparently, there remains confusion around those criteria. Either way, the US is headed for Turkey in the fall.